Polk State College Report To Community 2014 by CNP • Clark/Nikdel/Powell

The View from Here | 2013 Report to Community

polk.edu

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The View from Here As we so often say here at Polk State College, it is good to be us. In 2013, however, it was more accurate to use the word great! In the pages that follow, you’ll see exactly what I mean. Our enrollment continued to grow — even as every other public college in the state saw it level off or decline. We were approved to offer our fourth bachelor’s degree, the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences. We made a slew of facilities enhancements, expanded our international study options, and opened a new high school. To top it all off, our annual economic impact was officially pegged at nearly half a billion dollars — that’s huge! Yes, in 2013, it was certainly great to be us! A remarkable 2013 now gives way to 2014, the year in which Polk State will celebrate its 50th anniversary. For ﬁve decades, we have provided Polk County with aﬀordable, accessible, world-class education. We have started our students on the path to a better life, guided them along their way, and stood proudly at the end of the commencement stage, ready to congratulate them on their accomplishments. As we begin this 50th year, Polk State College is bigger and better than ever before — and only growing more so by the day. The view from here, is very, very bright. Now, on behalf of Polk State’s District Board of Trustees, our faculty and staff, our students, alumni and, supporters, I am proud to offer this report of our progress in serving Polk County. We are very proud. We know you will be too. We are Polk.

Eileen Holden, Ed.D. President

CONTENTS

polk.edu | 01

T h e rreturn e tu r n on on students’ s tu d e nt s’ The eeducational du c at i on a l iinvestment nv e s t m e n t aatt P ol k SState t ate iiss Polk

17.3 17 7.3%

page

District Board of Trustees

New bachelor’s degree in Aerospace to launch in 2014

16 18

Polk goes global with expanding international study options Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center’s ﬁrst year was full of variety

Endowed Teaching Chairs

Bachelor of Science in Nursing gets accredited fast

New high school gives students a second chance at education

Diversity report

Public safety institute earns CALEA’s Accreditation with Excellence

My Brother’s Keeper, service for needy students, marks ﬁrst anniversary

Polk State Corporate College

Enrollment growth continues

Internship Program gives students a competitive edge

Polk mourns Frederick T. Lenfestey, founding president

Polk again leads state in graduate employment rates

Polk alumna Rita Smith receives statewide honor

Polk Celebrates Career, Life of Gary Baker

Facilities improvements

02 10

Polk’s economic impact pegged at $481.8 million annually 11

Polk State College 2013 Timeline

28-29

Alumni News and Notes

39-47

2013 Polk State Athletics Report

The year 2013 was full of exciting headlines at Polk State College, from expanding degree programs to students overcoming all odds to reach their educational goals. In the pages that follow, we’ve included a timeline of the most notable events of the year. To read more about any of these milestones, visit news.polk.edu.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

From its ﬁrst days, the College

POLK STATE COLLEGE STOKES LOCAL ECONOMY

has been inextricably linked to the local economy. Founding President Fred Lenfestey,

i n 2 0 1 1 - 1 2 P o l k S TaT e ha D a T o Ta l e C o n o m i C i m PaC T o f

$481,800,000

sketching on a pad during a meeting, designed the College’s ﬁrst shield, including an orange and a shovel to represent the area’s interests in citrus and

3.3%

The return on students’ educational investment at Polk State is

T h e C o l l e g e ’ S T o Ta l i m Pa C T e q uaT e S T o a P P r ox i m aT e ly

phosphate mining.

17.3% Due to their increased earnings, students will recoup the cost of their Polk State education within about nine years.

o f P o l k C o u n T y ’ S e C o n o m y.

“We are certainly very proud of this data. Polk State truly impacts ‘the bottom line’ of its community, adding over $480 million in annual income to the local economy through the earnings of our graduates. That’s a huge impact, and we expect that to grow in the coming decades.”

POLK STATE COLLEGE JANUARY

THE DETAILS

In January 2013, Polk State’s EMS Program reported that 100 percent of its students taking the state paramedic certiﬁcation exam in late 2012 had passed, far exceeding the statewide pass-rate average of 60 percent.

January 9, 2013 Polk State Emergency Medical Services Program Again Surpasses State on Paramedic Exam

polk.edu | 03

A study released in March 2013 pegged Polk State College’s annual economic impact on Polk County at nearly half a billion dollars. Idaho-based Economic Modeling Specialists, Intl. (EMSI)

leaders interested in moving to our area, they demand a highly

conducted the study, as part of a broader examination of

skilled workforce to fuel their businesses. The dedicated

the impact of the entire Florida College System (FCS).

faculty and staff at Polk State have created the ideal setting

EMSI found that in 2011-12, Polk State had a total economic

for success, offering exceptionally qualified job candidates to our community every semester.”

impact of $481.8 million. Of the College’s total economic impact, $443 million is a direct

The EMSI study also examined Polk State College’s return on

result of increased earnings students and alumni receive

investment, both for students and taxpayers, ﬁnding:

because of their Polk State College education.

• For students, the return on their educational investment

The remainder of the College’s economic impact is comprised

at Polk State is 17.3 percent. Put in another perspective, the

of operational expenditures.

average Polk State student’s lifetime earnings will increase by $6.60 for every dollar they invest in their education at

The College’s total impact equates to approximately 3.3 percent

as well as the 7-percent average return on stocks and bonds.

“ 10%

As such, the state actually makes money oﬀ its investments

which far exceeds

the College. Thanks to their increased earnings, students

of Polk County’s economy.

The rate of return

will recoup the cost of their Polk State education within

“We are certainly very proud of this data,” said Polk State

taxpayers see

about nine years.

on their investment in

President Eileen Holden at the study’s release. “Polk State truly impacts ‘the bottom line’ of its community, adding over

• The rate of return taxpayers see on their investment in the

Polk State College is

College is 10 percent, which far exceeds the 3-percent rate

$480 million in annual income to the local economy through

generally expected for long-term government investments,

the earnings of our graduates. That’s a huge impact, and we expect that to grow in the coming decades.” Business leaders across the county said the study put ﬁrm

in Polk State College.

the 3-percent rate

numbers on contributions they’d always known were huge.

generally expected

A more detailed look at wages in Polk County found that “This study quantifies what we’ve always known — that Polk State’s impact reaches far beyond its campuses and classrooms,” said Steve Scruggs, executive director of the Lakeland Economic Development Council.

investments.

than those who have only a high school diploma. Because

”

they earn higher salaries, Polk State’s graduates help to

“Polk State helps to create a pipeline of more highly trained workers, which is invaluable in attracting new businesses to

study found.

higher-education institution right here at home goes a long way in retaining talent in Polk County. Polk State is an invaluable resource in the economic development of our county.” David Petr, now president of the Central Florida Development Council, said:

The EMSI study of Polk State was part of a broader look at the impact of the entire FCS. The results of that study showed that the 28 FCS institutions pump an additional $26.6 billion per year into the state’s economy. “We are certainly very proud of the data,” Holden added. “It shows what Floridians have known for years: the state college

“Polk State College is one of the best tools I have in my

system is a great investment and has a huge impact on the

economic development toolbox. When speaking with business

state’s economy.”

government

by the midpoint of their careers; this is 35 percent higher

expand Florida’s tax base by $54 million each year, the

the area. At the same time, having a quality, affordable

for long-term

those who have an associate’s degree earn $36,500 annually

January 17, 2013 Florida Campus Compact Honors Polk for Service-Learning Initiatives

January 29, 2013 Aerospace Program Marks First Student Flight

TAKINGOFF IN 2014

Polk State now oﬀers a

Polk State to Launch Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace

“I’m jumping for joy,” said Ricardo Garcia, a member of Polk

wide variety of two-year

Following approval from the State Board of Education in

State’s District Board of Trustees, owner and operator of Gulf

degree programs and an

September 2013, Polk State College is now preparing to

Coast Avionics, and advisory board member at the Central

ever-expanding selection

launch its fourth baccalaureate degree, the Bachelor of Science

Florida Aerospace Academy.

of baccalaureate options,

in Aerospace Sciences.

all of which target speciﬁc

“This new degree will make the students more marketable, and

workforce needs in Polk

Polk State College plans to launch the new degree in fall

allows them to further their education locally and aﬀordably.

County. Local workforce

2014, becoming the first public college or university in the

I’m very much excited.”

needs, of course, have changed dramatically in the last 50 years, as evidenced by the College’s

state to offer the degree. The new degree will include concentrations in both Professional “This is a huge milestone for the College and the region we serve,” said Polk State President Eileen Holden.

Pilot Science and Aerospace Administration. The degree will be open to anyone with at least a two-year degree from a

early degree programs

“Our Aerospace Program was developed to address, on a local

regionally accredited school or college, and at least a 2.0

in ﬁelds such as

level, an international need for pilots, ﬂight instructors, and

grade-point average.

Agribusiness, Citrus

other aviation personnel. Now, with the bachelor’s degree,

Nursery Management,

we will be able to provide more advanced training to better

Mining Industrial Management, and

address those needs and prepare our students for successful

College phased out these degrees, replacing them with programs to support the county’s advancing and evolving economy.

The Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences will extend the existing aerospace education pipeline at the College.

make your resume stand out. On the Aerospace Administration

in Professional Pilot Science to prepare students to become

side, a bachelor’s degree is going to be required for any mid-level

pilots and flight instructors. Then in August 2013, it added

or higher position.”

is at the core of Polk

students for management positions at airports, airlines, and

will demand in the next 50 years is unknown, but whatever it is, Polk will deliver.

POLK STATE COLLEGE FEBRUARY

he said. “Even if you’re not trying to get hired at a commercial

In January 2013, the College launched its Associate of Science

the Associate of Science in Aerospace Administration to ready

What area employers

“A bachelor’s degree is needed to be hired at any major airline,” airline, having knowledge beyond just your pilot certiﬁcates will

Meeting workforce needs State’s very existence.

aviation labor market.

careers in aviation.”

Ornamental Horticulture. Through the years, the

Polk State Aerospace Program Director Eric Crump said students who earn the new degree have a competitive advantage in the

a wide variety of related operations.

Plus, Crump said, even those who have not earned an associate’s degree in Aerospace, but who currently hold Federal Aviation Administration pilot certifications, are able to earn the

Both degrees were developed in response to demand from local

new bachelor’s degree, and this can prepare them for career

airports, the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, and other

advancement.

members of the area aviation community. Development of the new degree involved months of research The Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences continues

and intensive collaboration with the area aviation community

the College’s work to provide affordable, accessible aviation

and other Florida College System institutions working together

education.

as the Florida College System Aerospace Consortium.

February 1, 2013 Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center Opens Doors

February 6, 2013 Two Events Underscore Polk’s Commitment to Helping Students Graduate

February 12, 2013 Polk Students Open Professional Clothes Closet

polk.edu | 05

The College also surveyed

the Florida College System Aerospace

its students and aviation

Consortium, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood

employers to gauge the need

International Airport, GoJet Airlines, the

for the new degree.

Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Lakeland

Polk State Aerospace Celebrated Donated Plane, Embry-Riddle Training Agreement in 2013

Linder Regional Airport, the National Aviation

Among the findings the

The ﬁrst year of Polk State’s Aerospace Program was a series of

Academy, the Polk Aviation Alliance, the

College submitted to the

big headlines.

Polk County School Board, Silver Airways,

state was that, according to

The program launched in January 2013, oﬀering an associate’s

Spirit Airlines, SUN ‘n FUN, Miami-based

the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, there were 8,093 aviation-related jobs statewide in 2012,

Wayman Flight Training, and Winter Haven

degree in Professional Pilot Science, and by August had

Municipal Airport.

added an associate’s degree in Aerospace Administration. That expansion was quickly followed by state approval for the

with 375 annual job openings projected

John Small, senior director of workforce

College to oﬀer a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences,

through 2020.

education at the Polk County School Board

planned to launch in 2014.

wrote: In addition to its growing degree oﬀerings, Polk State Aerospace

However, existing similar programs within the state, oﬀered at Jacksonville University,

“Many students in our school are interested

also experienced a boon in 2013 with FedEx Corp.’s donation

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the

in careers as professional pilots or other

of a retired Boeing 727 to SUN ‘n FUN. The plane will be used

Florida Institute of Technology, produced a

aerospace professionals, and they are currently

to teach cockpit procedures and aviation maintenance, said

combined 250 graduates in 2009-10. That

able to pursue postsecondary education

Polk State Aerospace Director Eric Crump.

number, the College indicated, includes an

through Polk State College’s Associate of

“There’s nothing like learning on an actual plane,” he said.

untold number of out-of-state students.

Science degrees in Professional Pilot Science Later in the year, Polk State Aerospace inked an agreement with

or Aerospace Administration. However, to Plus, College research showed that with an impending global pilot shortage — Boeing

the academic agreement, Polk State students can seamlessly

they must enroll at a private institution or

predicts 1 million commercial airline pilots

transfer their coursework to Embry-Riddle — Worldwide, a

leave Florida. Polk State College’s Aerospace

and maintenance technicians will be needed

world leader in aviation-oriented higher education, giving

Sciences bachelor’s degree program will

by 2031 — and other factors at play within

them more options for their baccalaureate and advanced de-

allow our students to aﬀordably complete

aviation, the state’s need for trained aerospace

grees.

their baccalaureate education close to home,

personnel is growing by the day.

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University — Worldwide. Under

complete a bachelor’s degree in these ﬁelds,

Additionally, JetBlue partnered with the College, giving students

thereby increasing access to the aerospace

access to its training facilities in Orlando. The airline’s employees

Polk’s Bachelor of Science in Aerospace

ﬁeld. Polk State and the Polk County School

Sciences will go a long way in addressing

Board have a long history of collaboration to

that need by offering aspiring pilots, flight

provide the best educational opportunities

“We’ve had explosive growth. The theme of this year, easily,

instructors, and airport managers the most

for the citizens of Polk County. The proposed

has been realizing dreams,” Crump said.

affordable option in Florida for attaining a

degree is just one more example of this

bachelor’s degree.

collaborative relationship.”

In its degree proposal submitted to the state,

The bachelor’s in Aerospace Sciences will

the College included letters of support from a

become the College’s fourth baccalaureate

wide range of airlines and related operations,

program, in addition to Bachelor of Applied

including Airbus, American Eagle Airlines,

Science in Supervision and Management,

the Bartow Municipal Airport Development

Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor

Authority, ExpressJet Airlines, FedEx, the

of Science in Criminal Justice, launched in

Florida Aero Club, the Florida Airports Council,

2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively.

THE DETAILS

will mentor students during their studies.

Misty Roper, a resident of Bartow, is the ﬁrst Polk State student to ever win ﬁrst place in the Florida Collegiate Honors Council Writing Contest. She won for her poem, Semele.

February 27, 2013 Polk Student Wins First Place in Statewide Poetry Contest

ACCREDITED—FAST! Polk’s BSN Reaches Key Milestone Just a Year After Launch

Nursing was the College’s ﬁrst Health Sciences program, established in

Just a year into its existence, Polk State’s Bachelor of Science in

class can say it graduated from a nationally accredited program,”

Nursing (BSN) degree received accreditation from the National

Hutcherson said.

League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) — a remarkably quick feat for a new program.

is that students have a baccalaureate degree from a nationally

1965. To keep pace with

“What this means is that Polk State is meeting strict national

the advancing healthcare

standards for everything from its curriculum to its facilities

ﬁeld, the College through the years expanded its oﬀerings to include Cardiovascular Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography,

“One of the requirements for many graduate nursing programs

and resources,” said Polk State Nursing Director Annette Hutcherson in April 2013, after the College received word of

accredited program.” The ACEN is nationally recognized as the accrediting agency for all types of nursing education by a host of government agencies, as well as employers.

the accreditation. “It’s very unusual for a program to get accreditation in its ﬁrst

Numerous members of Polk County’s healthcare industry offered their congratulations to the BSN Program.

year of operation, and of course we are very proud.”

Emergency Medical Services, Occupational

Polk State’s BSN Program launched in fall 2011. The NLNAC

“Achieving national accreditation gives Polk State’s BSN Program

Therapy Assistant,

site assessors visited the program in October 2012, when they

a recognized mark of excellence. I’m not surprised that the

Physical Therapist

recommended accreditation be granted.

BSN Program was able to quickly achieve accreditation, as

Assistant, Radiography, and Respiratory Care. While all these programs focus on diﬀerent areas of

quality is what has long characterized Polk State’s Nursing In March 2013, the NLNAC’s commissioners met and approved the recommendation for accreditation, which was granted retroactively to the 2012 site visit. Therefore, Hutcherson explained, accreditation was achieved just a year after the

healthcare, they all

launch of the program.

share a tradition of

“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, we thank you for

excellence: Students in all these programs regularly outperform their peers in the state

your commitment to quality nursing education,” wrote Sharon Tanner, chief executive officer of NLNAC, in a letter to Hutcherson announcing the accreditation.

and nation on required licensing exams.

The NLNAC is now known as the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Hutcherson said national accreditation is more than a point of pride for the College, it also directly aligns with its ultimate mission of helping students to succeed. “This is huge news for our students. We graduated our ﬁrst class of BSN students in December 2012, so now even our very ﬁrst

POLK STATE COLLEGE MARCH

March 11, 2013 Siblings Studying at Polk State Lakeland Collegiate Named to All-Florida Academic Team

March 14, 2013 Polk State EMS Students Act Fast to Revive Patient

polk.edu | 07

Program. Polk State College provides an educational climate

Sponsler said the BSN’s accreditation is further evidence of

that supports the students to achieve the knowledge and

the exceptional job Polk State does in educating nurses.

skills necessary to become eﬀective professional nurses. We are fortunate to have such a high-quality nursing program in our community,” said Janet Fansler, executive vice president, chief operating officer, and chief nurse executive at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

“Polk State Nursing is fabulous. I would hire from Polk State any day. I think it stands head and shoulders above other programs in the area,” she said.

“

The Polk State BSN’s initial accreditation is eﬀective for ﬁve years,

Added Brenda Sponsler, former chief nursing executive at Bartow Regional Medical Center: “National accreditation is proof that a program knows what it is doing. This accreditation is signiﬁcant because Polk State is right here, down the road for the area’s nurses. To be able to get a bachelor’s degree from a

which is the maximum amount of time allowed at initial

Polk State Nursing

approval. The College will then have to undergo another

is fabulous.

self-assessment and site visit to receive reaccreditation. If

I would hire from Polk State any day.

reaccreditation is granted, Polk State will have to renew its accreditation every eight years.

nationally accredited program without having to travel or do

The College’s associate’s degree in Nursing has been nationally

an online program, that’s huge,” she said.

accredited since the 1980s.

I think it stands

Hutcherson credited the success of the BSN Program

head and shoulders

to its partnerships in the area healthcare community

above other programs

and its faculty members, including Mavra Kear, initial

in the area

”

coordinator for the program. Polk State College’s BSN Program was created in response to demand from area hospitals for more highly educated nurses, and enrollment has exceeded projections every semester since it launched. The BSN Program emphasizes creative and critical thinking to help nurses improve the care they provide to their patients. “Graduates of the BSN Program possess professionalism, leadership skills, and advanced awareness of not only their role as nurses but of the healthcare system overall,” Hutcherson said.

March 21, 2013 Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center Marks Opening with Ribbon Cutting

THE DETAILS

Polk State made a number of updates and improvements to its Polk State College Lake Wales Arts Center prior to the ribbon cutting, including reinforcing the roof and rebuilding the stained-glass windows, which are now protected by hurricane-rated glass.

Polk’s public safety institute is named after Kenneth C. Thompson, an Air Force veteran who served as Haines City’s chief of police for 18 years. Even after retirement, he was dedicated to public service, becoming a city commissioner, vice mayor, and mayor, serving in the latter position from 1993 until he died in 2001. The Institute was dedicated in his honor in 2002, a prime example of the College’s reﬂection of the community it serves.

EXCELLENCE

ACHIEVED

The Institute is the first training academy associated with a college or university to receive the award in the nation. It has been accredited through CALEA since 2007. “Achieving renewed CALEA accreditation — and now Accreditation with Excellence — is a big deal, and it is a testament to the hard work of our entire team at the Institute. We are extremely proud of this designation,” said Polk State President Eileen Holden.

Public Safety Institute Is First of Its Kind to Earn CALEA’s Accreditation with Excellence Polk State’s Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety is the ﬁrst training academy of its kind to receive Accreditation with Excellence from CALEA, an internationally recognized

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd offered his congratulations: “The Polk State team at the Institute holds themselves to the highest possible standards, so that they can educate and produce some of the best law enforcement officer candidates in the nation,” Judd said. “I am very proud of the men and women

credentialing authority.

who have worked so hard to earn the prestigious Accreditation The Institute received the Accreditation with Excellence Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) in March 2013, during its annual conference in Charleston, S.C.

POLK STATE COLLEGE APRIL

with Excellence designation.” Virginia-based CALEA was established in 1979 to improve the delivery of public safety services. It does this primarily by maintaining a body of standards that were developed by

April 5, 2013 Polk’s Kenneth Ross Receives Distinguished College Administrator Award from Phi Theta Kappa

April 11, 2013 Opening Night for All Shook Up Biggest in College History

April 11, 2013 Phi Theta Kappa Students Bring Home Five Stars from Convention

polk.edu | 09

“ ”

I am very proud of the men and women who have worked so hard to earn the prestigious Accreditation with Excellence designation.

public safety practitioners that cover a wide range of public

“Receiving this distinguished award is both an honor and a

safety initiatives. Law-enforcement agencies, public safety

tribute to the quality of the team members we have assembled

communications agencies, campus security forces, and training

from Polk State College, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the

academies that meet the standards receive CALEA accreditation,

Lakeland Police Department and the Winter Haven Police

an internationally recognized designation.

Department,” he said.

The Institute is one of only 20 training academies in the

“Achieving the status of Accreditation with Excellence is due to

country to receive CALEA accreditation and was the first

their tireless eﬀorts and teamwork, and a relentless dedication

training academy associated with a college or university to

to our mission.”

earn CALEA accreditation. Reaccreditations have been

In addition to training provided through the Institue, Polk

awarded on a three-year cycle.

State Public Safety offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees

Now, the Institute belongs to an even more elite group of

in Criminal Justice, as well training and degrees in Emergency

CALEA agencies — those that have received Accreditation

Medical Services and Fire Science.

with Excellence. The Accreditation with Excellence Award was established in 2011 to recognize agencies that effectively use their CALEA accreditation to set the benchmark for public safety professionalism. Agencies that receive the award must have received at least two consecutive accreditations and must be free of any noncompliance issues on their most recent assessments. Additionally, agencies must meet several criteria, including using the CALEA Accreditation process as a tool for continuous organizational improvement; addressing the intent of the CALEA standards, beyond compliance; and collecting, reviewing and analyzing organizational data for the purpose of improvement. Only 99 agencies have received the award since it began, and only five of the recipients have been training academies. The Institute is the first training academy associated with a college or university to receive the award. Polk County Sheriﬀ’s Oﬃce Capt. William Mann, also director of the Institute, said the award is a direct result of partnerships within the local law enforcement community.

April 22, 2013 Polk State Launches New Website

THE DETAILS

Polk State researched best practices and consulted students, prospective students, faculty and staﬀ to develop a new website that is dynamic, easily navigable and informative. Visit the site at polk.edu.

7,828

POLK’S ENROLLMENT GROWTH

has been part of the College’s story since the very beginning.

7,667

7,000

7,162

Enrollment growth

7,500

When the College 6,673

opened its doors in

6,500

1964, more than 1,100 students had signed up to take classes, more than twice the number expected.

5,992

6,000

5,313

5,500

2013

2012

2011

2008

2009

2010

4,500

2007

full-time equivalent students

4,702

5,000

year

POLK STATE COLLEGE MAY

May 2, 2013 Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School Student Wins Silver Garland Award

THE DETAILS

More than 3,600 second-graders came to Polk State for All Kids Read, where they watched Polk State Theatre students act out four children’s books. The goal was to foster the children’s interest in both reading and theatre.

May 3, 2013 Students from Across County Flock to College for All Kids Read Event

Polk State College saw its enrollment continue to increase in 2012-13, bucking the statewide trend of ﬂat or declining growth. According to data released by the Division of Florida Colleges in August 2013, Polk State experienced a 2.1 percent gain in full-time-equivalent enrollment in 2012-13, from 7,667 to 7,828. Polk State was the only college in the 28-institution Florida College System to post an enrollment increase. The 2012-13 report included the summer, fall, and spring terms. The average system enrollment declined by 5.9 percent.

at Polk State’s campuses in Lakeland and Winter Haven, as well as at centers in South Lakeland and Lake Wales. The majority of Polk’s students are studying toward the Associate

Vice President for Academic Services Kenneth Ross attributed the College’s growth to a number of factors.

in Arts degree, which is parallel and fully transferrable to the State University System, however a large portion study in the

“I give a lot of credit to our bachelor’s programs,” he said. “Like every degree and program Polk State offers, the bachelor’s degree programs were strategically developed to address workforce needs. Awareness is spreading that this College oﬀers

“

College’s workforce-based Associate in Science degree programs.

Like every degree

The remaining students are in the bachelor’s programs or a

and program Polk

variety of certiﬁcate programs designed to lead to immediate

State offers, the

employment opportunities.

bachelor’s degree

workforce-based bachelor’s degrees at the area’s most aﬀordable

programs were

price point — which is why we see enrollment in those programs

Enrollment Services and Outreach Coordinator Matina Wagner,

continue to grow.”

who works on the front lines of recruitment eﬀorts, attributed

strategically developed

the enrollment bump to increasing awareness of what Polk State Polk State College launched its Bachelor of Applied Science in

to address

has to oﬀer.

workforce needs.

2010, following it with the Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2011, and the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 2012.

“I think more and more people are realizing the value of a state

In 2013, it was approved to oﬀer the Bachelor of Science in

college,” Wagner said. “Economically, it just makes more sense.

Aerospace Sciences; that degree will launch in fall 2014.

People are minding their dollars and they’re realizing that the

”

quality is there. They can get the same rigor that they would at More bachelor’s degrees are in development.

other schools without breaking the bank.”

Enrollment in the bachelor’s programs has increased every

Polk State College is the county’s largest and most aﬀordable

semester since each launched.

higher-education option.

Ross said another factor in the enrollment growth has been

Saul Reyes, dean of student services at Polk State Winter Haven,

a new “concierge” service, which involves employees calling

proudly notes that many employees at the College also play a

students to remind them of outstanding tuition or fees, or

role in growing enrollment, such as those in the Admission

other requirements they need to fulfill.

Oﬃce, Advising, and Student Financial Services. The enrollment

This service has resulted in fewer students being purged from classes at the drop/add deadline each semester.

College and the students,” Ross said. “The students know what’s expected of them when they walk up to the doors.”

May 23, 2013 Polk’s Summer Monroe Finishes Third at International Science Fair

“It’s an honor to see the excitement in students’ eyes when they ﬁrst enroll at the College … to witness students’ realization that college is going to change their future and their family’s future,

In fall 2013, more than 12,600 students were enrolled in classes

students one-on-one, because it means more are realizing the power of a Polk State education.

“It comes down to improved communication between the

growth is especially sweet reward for those who work with

it’s the best part of the job,” he said.

May 24, 2013 Polk Named to National List of Manufacturer-Endorsed Institutions

May 28, 2013 Polk State, Alumnus Receive Spirit of Leadership Polk Awards

NO.1—AGAIN! Polk Leads State Graduate Employment Rates

adapted to meet the

“Polk’s unemployment is persistently higher than the

within just months of graduation.

statewide average. At the same time, Polk State’s graduates

System institutions, and was well ahead of the statewide

water skiers and courses in hotel-motel management.

public college in Florida. The data validate the education Polk Usinger said.

It was the second consecutive year that Polk State had led Also signiﬁcant is that Polk State workforce program graduates

the state in graduate employment.

earned an average full-time wage of $40,864, according to the

area’s tourism industry,

become professional

are getting jobs at higher rates than graduates of any other State provides — there is real demand for our graduates,”

job-placement average of 74 percent.

College had developed

students who wanted to

well above the state’s 9.5 percent.

College’s workforce-based programs secured employment

Within the ﬁrst decade

including training for

By the fourth quarter of 2011 — at the end of the period unemployment rate had improved to only 11.1 percent, still

Polk State College outranked all other 27 Florida College

a diverse range of

the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

examined by the recent FETPIP data — Polk County’s

and area employers.

courses to serve the

average during the same period of 11.1 percent, according to

colleges in preparing graduates for immediate employment.

needs of its students

of its existence, the

unemployment was 12.2 percent, higher than the statewide

For two years running, Polk State College has led all other public

Data released in 2013 showed that 86 percent of students in the Polk State has long

During the last quarter of 2010, Polk County’s average rate of

Polk State President Eileen Holden described the data as

FETPIP data. That is above the county average of $35,243,

quantitative evidence of the College’s success in serving

according to the Central Florida Development Council.

both students and employers. Polk State’s state-leading graduate employment is the result “Every class we schedule, every program we offer, and

of its deep integration with the local business community,

every degree we confer is tied to meeting workforce needs

Usinger said. Area employers serve on advisory boards for

in our community. We provide our business partners with

the College’s degree programs, helping to guide and shape

the workforce they need to prosper and our students with the

curricula to match real-world expectations, and input from the

knowledge and training they need to enjoy gainful careers.

business community is also vital to new degree development.

This is the reason we exist, and it always will be, no matter where we rank on the list — but, yes, being ranked No. 1 in

The result of the College’s collaboration with employers, and its success in helping graduates secure employment, is best

back-to-back years is very exciting,” she said.

told through the stories of individual graduates, such as The Florida Education and Training Placement Information

Manal Awad.

Program (FETPIP) released the data, which pertain to graduates in 2010-11, the most recent year available. Workforce-based programs include Associate in Science degree programs, Educator Preparation Institute, and the many certificates

Awad graduated from the College’s Nursing Program in May 2013, and knows ﬁrsthand the diﬀerence a Polk State degree makes. When she graduated, she had already been hired as a full-time nurse at Winter Haven Hospital, making approximately

Polk State College offers.

$48,000. Peter Usinger, director of institutional research, eﬀectiveness and planning for the College, said that it is particularly striking that Polk State graduates were successful in securing jobs even during a period of steep unemployment.

POLK STATE COLLEGE JUNE

June 4, 2013 Public Safety Institute Receives Sheriﬀ’s Commendation

“I’m going to spoil myself with a new car — probably a Camry,” she said. “Getting my AS at Polk helped me get my foot in the door at Winter Haven Hospital and will help me get where I want to go.”

June 5, 2013 135 Lives Change with Elementary Scholarship Week

June 7, 2013 Polk State Lakeland to Host First Full-Length Play

Cornelius Jackson and Dorian Sheppard

TWO GRADUATES, TWO PROGRAMS,

BOTH HIRED RIGHT AWAY For a decade, Dorian Sheppard was an account representative in the telecommunications industry, but when her employer merged with another, her job disappeared. Rather than stay in her field, Sheppard saw an opportunity

of Business Administration from Phoenix University, and was

to make a life change, and enrolled in Polk State College’s

in the midst of a successful career in banking.

Respiratory Care Program.

But something was missing.

“I shadowed a respiratory therapist and immediately fell in love with it,” said the Lakeland resident. “Respiratory therapists work

“I always wanted to go into teaching, but never really had the opportunity.”

in all areas of the hospital and they save lives. I had to ﬁnd what I wanted to do, but once I found it, I knew it was right for me.”

After visiting the classroom of a friend who teaches, Jackson

“

was inspired to make a change, and he decided to use Polk Sheppard graduated from the Respiratory Care Program in May

State’s Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) to make it happen.

Polk is local and

2013, and was hired just over a month later at her employer of

it’s a great program.

The EPI is an accelerated training option for anyone who has

choice, Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

It offers Saturday and online classes,

a non-education bachelor’s degree and wants to become a “Getting hired so quickly was very important to me and my

teacher.

family. If I’d had to wait to find a job, or if I’d had difficulty in getting hired, that would have been a hardship on us all,”

“Polk is local and it’s a great program. It offers Saturday and online classes, which is great for a professional looking to

she said.

change careers,” he said.

which is great for a

From her first day on the job, Sheppard said, she felt prepared to handle the challenges and responsibilities that come with

Jackson completed the EPI in October 2012, and the next school

the field of respiratory care.

year began working as a business teacher at Lake Gibson High

professional looking to change careers

”

School. In the time that passed between him completing EPI Respiratory therapists help patients who are having difficulty

and being hired, Jackson turned down other job oﬀers in his

breathing to manage their conditions. On any given day,

ﬁeld because he felt certain his Polk State training would lead

Sheppard manages ventilators for patients who can’t breath on

him to a teaching position.

their own, administers medications, and provides emergency “I didn’t feel that I was jeopardizing my future by turning

response to patients in cardiac or respiratory arrest.

down those offers. I knew I would get a job,” he said. “I was trained to do this, and I was confident in my abilities from the very first day,” she said. “I have no regrets about changing careers. I’ve found personal fulﬁllment. I’m very glad

The EPI prepared him to succeed from the moment he entered his classroom, he said.

I went to Polk State, too. The College holds students to higher

“If I hadn’t done the EPI, I wouldn’t have been prepared at

standards and those standards are what people notice when

all. They give you all the keys, and you’re ready to go,” he said.

it comes time to get a job.” “Teaching has turned out to be way better than I thought it

Meanwhile, Cornelius Jackson had earned a bachelor's degree

would be. The kids are fantastic, and I feel that I’m really aﬀecting

in Business Administration from Flagler College and a Master

the community in a positive way.”

June 21, 2013 Student Wins New Supply Chain Management Scholarship

THE DETAILS

Polk State student Kathy Frey competed with students from the University of Central Florida and University of South Florida for a $1,500 scholarship from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals Central Florida Roundtable.

June 28, 2013 TALON Robotics Culminates with Robot Rumble

UPDATES AND ENHANCEMENTS In 2014, the College opened its Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center in Bartow, exactly 50 years after it marked its humble beginnings at the former Bartow Air Base. The new

Polk State made a number of changes to its campuses and centers in 2013 to better serve its students. Here is a look at some of the most signiﬁcant projects of the year: 1. Winter Haven Health Center Lobby After decades without even minimal updates, the space was completely renovated in 2013. The project included tripling the size of the trophy case to create a visual focal point, installing a concession stand and adding architectural details to the ceiling. The lobby also received new

ﬂooring, paint, signage, and lighting. Additionally, the bathrooms were

facility features

updated. The ﬁnal result is a modern, exciting entryway to the Health

state-of-the-art

Center that complements the previously updated gym ﬂoor.

technology and building techniques,

2. Lakeland Academic Center

a stark contrast to

To make way for Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High

how the College

School, a former nursing classroom was renovated into faculty oﬃces

started, when the

and a modern teaching space. The new high school’s conference room

ﬁrst employees

also received technology updates, and new digital signs and security

lamented the lack of

enhancements were added.

water fountains.

3. Polk State Airside Center

“

To accommodate Polk State Aerospace, which relocated from the Winter

The new construction, remodeling and numerous renovations happening at the College are all about meeting the needs of our students... It’s about providing the learning environment our students need to succeed.

Haven campus in late 2013, an area once used for cubicles was reconﬁgured to house the program’s ﬂight-simulation technology. Work will continue through 2014 to make the most efficient use of the Airside Center, as many programs once housed there have relocated to the Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center.

”

4. Lakeland Wellness Center A former 4,800-square-foot storage building on the northeastern edge of campus was transformed into Polk State Lakeland’s Wellness Center. The Lakeland Wellness Center now houses a cardio room complete with treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, weight machines, and free weights; men’s and women’s locker rooms; and an aerobic room for group exercise.

POLK STATE COLLEGE JULY

6 3

July 3, 2013 Students Achieve Two National Rankings at Phi Beta Lambda Conference

7 10

July 10, 2013 Polk State Aerospace Expands with Administration Degree

polk.edu | 15

5. Lakeland Campus Library To complement renovations that were made to the Polk State Lakeland TLCC (Teaching/Learning Computing Center) in 2012, the College installed new carpet and painted the Lakeland

Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center Now Open In January 2014, just in time for its 50th anniversary, Polk State College celebrated the opening of its Polk State Clear Springs Advanced

Campus Library.

Technology Center (ATC) in Bartow.

6. Winter Haven Fine Arts Theatre

“Five decades ago, Polk State College began humbly, on the grounds

Those attending Polk State Theatre or Music productions now

of the Bartow Air Base,” said Polk State President Eileen Holden.

enjoy the show from the comfort of new seats that were installed in early 2013. The seats vary in size from 21 to 23 inches, and all feature lumbar support and higher backs, making for a cushier viewing experience. Upgrades to the theatre also included installing

“Now, 50 years later, we’re back, with a state-of-the-art facility that will house our most cutting-edge programs. Bartow will always be part of the College’s history, of course, and now with the ATC, Bartow is part of the College’s bright, exciting future, too.”

energy-eﬃcient house lighting, new carpet, glow-in-the-dark lighting on the stairs to improve patron safety, and perimeter

The Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center is located oﬀ

lighting on the stage for increased performer safety.

State Road 60, at the intersection of Technology Drive and Venture Bend.

7. Teaching and Learning Innovation Centers

houses high-tech degree programs such as Engineering Technology,

Measuring 47,000 square feet, the architecturally striking building

Both the Lakeland and Winter Haven campuses opened 2013

Supply Chain Management, and Computer Network Engineering

with ribbon-cutting ceremonies for their Teaching and Learning

Technology, as well as the Polk State Corporate College, which provides

Innovation Centers; Lakeland’s TLIC is located in LLC 2269, Winter

in-demand workforce training for industries as varied as advanced

Haven’s is in a modular building on the southern edge of campus.

manufacturing and information technology.

Both are full of cutting-edge technology, video and multimedia creation and editing equipment, green-screen studios, and video conferencing technology. Faculty members are using the TLICs for

The building came to life through the work of Polk-based ﬁrms Furr & Wegman Architects and Rodda Construction.

technological training, collaboration on instructional projects, and

The Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center was

development of multimedia content. The TLICs were made possible

made possible through Clear Springs’ donation of 20 acres of land

through the generosity of Boyer Building Corporation.

and $12 million to the Polk State College Foundation, and the support of numerous other donors.

George Urbano

8. Winter Haven TLCC (Teaching/Learning Computing Center)

District Director of Facilities

with tutors, and take tests, received dramatic upgrades in 2013.

The TLCC, where hundreds of students each day go to study, meet Located on the second floor of Polk State Winter Haven’s Learning Resources Building, the space now has a new corridor and student seating area, more computer workstations and study rooms, and improved separation between the testing and study areas. The area has all-new finishes, too, from carpet to furniture. Work will continue in 2014 to further upgrade the testing area and create additional office space.

8 15

July 20, 2013 Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Has 100-Percent Pass Rate on Certiﬁcation Exam

THE DETAILS

Polk State’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program enrolled its ﬁrst class in 1999. Since then, the program has consistently exceeded the national pass rate on the National Board Certiﬁcation in Occupational Therapy exam. Passing the exam is a requirement for working as an occupational therapy assistant.

INTERNATIONALSTUDY Polk Students Took Learning Abroad in 2013

Today, Polk State’s student

In 2013, Polk State College students left the confines of the

Barberet added that the practical lessons of traveling and

classroom, the campus, and the country, taking part in the

staying in a foreign country will last a lifetime for the students.

College’s ever-expanding study-abroad opportunities.

“There is a conﬁdence that comes with this kind of experience.

life opportunities include

The College has made international study a top initiative, and

Our hope is that one day, one of our students will be at work

an ever-expanding

2013 proved a milestone year in that work, said Associate Vice

and the boss will say, ‘I need someone to go to Paris for a week

selection of study-abroad

for a conference,’ and our students will raise their hands and say,

President for Strategic Initiatives Naomi Boyer.

programs and nearly 50 clubs across multiple campuses and centers. All

‘I can do that,’” he said. “In 2013, we had students studying all around the world Student Jacob Wilson, a Lake Alfred resident who graduated

— that’s huge for Polk State,” she said.

with his Associate in Arts degree in May, said the trip was a

this grew from a handful of student organizations

“More importantly, it’s tremendous for the students. To learn

chance to prove to himself that he can work with those from

chartered early in the

while embedded within a culturally rich environment is truly

College’s history,

transformative. Whether it was the immersion into French

including the Baptist

language and humanities topics, studying in the living,

He is now attending the University of South Florida, studying

Student Union, Fencing

breathing environmental lab of the Bahamas, or exploring

Biomedical Sciences and planning to become a physician’s

Club, Polk Skin Diving

the culture of South Africa, stepping out of the traditional

assistant, a career he knows will require him to collaborate with

Club, and the Xi Pi chapter

classroom and into the world shifts perspectives about our

those from a variety of backgrounds.

individual roles in the global arena and marketplace.”

“Being able to experience a diﬀerent culture, and not quite ﬁt in

Marseille, France

but assimilate in such a way that you’re not stepping on anyone’s

In summer 2013, the College sent its second group of exchange

toes or insulting the culture, is an important skill,” he said.

students to Polytech Marseille, a French university. The nine

“We live in such a global society now. One day, I may be working

students spent 11 days abroad. Their itinerary included touring

with a doctor who is from another country, and there will be

the Polytech campus, sitting in on a robotics class, and visiting

certain things I shouldn’t do because they could be offensive.

of Phi Theta Kappa, among others.

diﬀerent cultures.

research labs, where graduate students were conducting

I took away from the trip the realization that I have the ability

experiments using electron microscopes. They also explored

to do that.”

the city, from the cuisine to the public transportation system. Students who traveled to Marseille earned college credit in Humanities Professor John Barberet said the most important

Humanities.

discovery for students, however, was how similar life in France The Bahamas

is to life in America.

Also during the summer, eight students and three professors “They learned that other people are a heck of a lot like us,” he

POLK STATE COLLEGE AUGUST

traveled to Andros, the largest but least developed of the

said. “Their day-to-day lives are diﬀerent in some ways, but also

Bahamian islands, for two weeks of experiments and research.

very much the same. They discovered how much they have

The trip counted as the lab portion of courses in Environmental

in common with those in a different culture, and that’s an

Science and Introduction to Marine Biology; before taking the trip,

important discovery to make.”

students completed six weeks of online coursework.

August 2, 2013 Nursing Grads Outperform State, Nation on Revised Exam

August 5, 2013 August 8, 2013 Polk State, Winter Haven Polk State Lakeland Marks New Housing Authority Partnership Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Gets National Recognition

August 12, 2013 For First Time, All Upward Bound Graduates Head to College

polk.edu | 17

2013 study-abroad locations 2014 study-abroad locations

“

stepping out of

The group was based at Forfar, a research station operated by

“I was learning constantly. Even if it wasn’t ‘instructional’ time,

International Field Studies, a nonproﬁt for teachers who run

the professors would still constantly point things out, from

ﬁeld study programs. Each day consisted of eight to nine hours

diﬀerent types of mangroves to limestone formations,” she said.

studying topics such as the Andros Barrier Reef, erosion patterns

classroom and into the world

Later in the year, Business Professor Herb Nold and four students

shifts perspectives

“We really got to open the students’ eyes to diﬀerences in the

from the College’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision

about our individual

world,” said Biology Professor Anthony Cornett, who led the trip

and Management Program traveled to Cape Town, South Africa,

roles in the global

along with Biology Professor Logan Randolph and Earth Science

to attend the Golden Key International Honour Society’s South

arena and

Professor Natalie Whitcomb.

African Conference.

“Coming from a fairly homogenous cultural and environmental

Golden Key is the world’s largest collegiate honor society; Polk

background, a lot of students don’t really know any diﬀerent

State’s chapter was chartered in 2011, and membership is

than what’s around them. Now they have a better understanding

limited to high academic performers in the College’s bachelor’s

of a diﬀerent environment and culture that’s so unlike what

programs.

and the eﬀects of climate change.

they’re used to.”

Cape Town, South Africa

marketplace.

Perhaps the most enduring lesson for students came from a

traveled outside the United States. While abroad, they took part

series of interviews they conducted with Bahamian residents

in conference activities and conducted a workshop on the

about climate change and eﬀorts to conserve the conch, an

impact an organization’s culture makes on its ultimate success.

important food source and cultural symbol for the country.

They also ventured into the city, where their views on the

Students visited a half-dozen settlements on the island,

world were forever changed.

conducting interviews at each stop. In the process they learned

“I’d have to say that the most inﬂuential moment during this trip was the township tour,” said student Joshua Moore, a

Upon returning, the students compiled their videotaped

resident of Lakeland. “The ‘townships’ are communities that

interviews into a documentary for the Bahamas National Trust,

are made out of shipping crates and include houses, pubs, and convenience stores. The people of these communities have no

which manages the country’s national parks. Student Kristiana Heath, a resident of Babson Park who completed her Associate in Arts degree at Polk in 2013, described the trip as deeply enriching.

”

None of the students who visited Cape Town had previously

about the diﬀerent ways of life around the Andros.

the traditional

THE DETAILS

running water, rely mostly on local markets to generate income, and have communal bathrooms. Personally, this showed me how much we, as Americans, take for granted.”

continued on page 35 20

Division of Florida Colleges Chancellor Randall Hanna presented seven Polk students with scholarships. Recipients included ﬁrst-generation-in-college students and students studying in Polk State Health Sciences.

August 16, 2013 Florida College System Chancellor Awards Scholarships to Polk State Students

From left: The Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center; Osubi Craig, who was hired as director of the Arts Center in 2013; and former state Sen. JD Alexander and Polk State President Eileen Holden at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building.

scholarship, majoring in Industrial Engineering while also play-

OPENFOR THE ARTS

ing in the Marching 100 and jazz ensemble. After spending time in the northeast, performing and teaching, he returned to Florida to earn a master’s degree in Arts Administration from Florida State University. He held positions in grants and research at FAMU and Florida Memorial University before coming to Polk State.

Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center Marks Busy 2013

“This position is everything I could have dreamed of,” Craig

in South Lakeland and

Polk State College celebrated the opening of its Polk State

participate in the arts. We made huge progress in offering

Lake Wales, and in 2014

College Lake Wales Arts Center in early 2013, and followed it

exciting new cultural opportunities in 2013, but we’re just

expanded again with its

with a busy slate of programming and the hiring of its first

getting started here at the Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center.”

Polk State Clear Springs

director for the location.

Today, Polk State has campuses in Lakeland and Winter Haven, and centers

Advanced Technology Center in Bartow. Back in 1968, the College was celebrating the completion of a single building — the Learning Resource Center, the ﬁrst building completed on the Winter Haven campus.

said. “There’s this beautifully renovated building, resources to host performances and events, and a community that wants to

With Craig in place, a slew of special events commenced in 2013.

In late 2011, the College and the Lake Wales Arts Council announced an innovative collaboration that involved the College accepting the title to the historic, iconic Lake Wales Arts Center, located at 1099 State Road 60 East.

The Arts Incubator series began in June, hosting internationally acclaimed pianist Byron Sean and Polk State Humanities Professor and cellist Derek Menchan. In August, the location hosted the ﬁrst Polk State Lake Wales

In exchange, the College agreed to renovate and maintain the 1920’s building, and use it to oﬀer the community dynamic arts opportunities.

Arts Integration Summer Training Institute. More than 30 local teachers attended the three-day program, led by Polk State Theatre Professor Ilene Fins, to learn how to incorporate the arts

The Learning Resources

After months of renovations, including unexpected work to

into the teaching of everything from geometry to poetry.

Building is still a hub of

reinforce the building’s roof, the Polk State College Lake

“In no uncertain terms, the Arts Integration project is about

activity on campus.

Wales Arts Center officially opened in March 2013, with a

On any given day, it

trying to change the world,” Craig said. “Teachers are the most

ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by approximately 150.

direct link to our young people, and they are some of the most

and approximately 2,700

The ceremony featured musical performers from the College

inﬂuential people in their lives. We want to keep the educational

students either attend

and the community. Attendees included former state Sen. JD

approach fresh and new, engaging and joyous, for both the

classes within the

Alexander, Lake Wales City Commissioner Michael Carter, Lake

students and teachers. Through the program, we give teachers

building or access other

Wales Arts Council President Barbara Connor, and Lake Wales

the toolbox to help their students absorb information in

Charter School District Superintendent Jesse Jackson.

new ways.”

The ceremony proved a brief celebratory respite in what was

During the Institute, educators learned things like connecting

otherwise a bustling year for the newest Polk State location.

Shakespeare to pop music, and ways to use dance to help

hosts 60-plus classes

services oﬀered under its roof.

students learn geometry. Academic classes commenced early in the year, including Ceramics, Design, Digital Photography and Music Appreciation.

“I’m excited to go back to my fellow teachers and show them that arts integration doesn’t have to be extra activities you add

POLK STATE COLLEGE SEPTEMBER

By May, the Center had its ﬁrst director, Osubi Craig, who brings

on to your day. It can be easily incorporated into any subject or

to his new job a mix of experience as an arts administrator

lesson,” said Brannan Lawson, a visual arts teacher at Hillcrest

and artist. He went to Florida A & M University on a music

Elementary School in Lake Wales.

September 1, 2013 Polk State Aerospace Has Its First Licensed Pilots

September 4, 2013 Polk State Hosts Dr. Ben Carson

September 5, 2013 Students Travel to South Africa for Golden Key Conference

September 12, 2013 Battle of the Bands Features Polk State Entry

polk.edu | 19

Growth Continues at Polk’s JD Alexander Center Polk State’s JD Alexander Center, located in downtown Lake Wales,

A month later, the Arts Center hosted famed surgeon, author, and public speaker

continues to see rapid growth, a trend that didn’t miss a beat in 2013.

Dr. Benjamin Carson Sr. Carson spoke at Lake Wales High School, recounting for a

During the 2012-13 academic year, the Center served 1,512 students,

standing-room-only audience his impoverished childhood and the path education

oﬀering 188 course sections. By comparison, in 2009-10, the ﬁrst year

provided to a better life.

of operation, the Center served 474 students and oﬀered 98 sections.

Afterward, Carson shared lunch with community leaders and Polk State students at the

“The community has really caught on to what is possible here,” said

Arts Center.

Polk State JD Alexander Center Director Cheryl Garnett, who was hired as the permanent director in 2013, after having previously served in

“It meant a lot to me to see someone who’s been through the same kind of adversity

an interim capacity.

I’m going through,” said student Nikela Sullivan, who named ﬁnancial struggles and growing up in a single-parent home as her own daunting circumstances. “He’s one

“You can almost — except for a couple of lab requirements —

person who has dealt with that adversity and has been victorious. That gives me hope.”

complete your whole Associate in Arts degree right here, within these four walls. We’re also offering courses toward the Bachelor

Also in September, the Arts Center welcomed its ﬁrst artist-in-residence, Saddi Khali,

of Applied Science degree and Educator Preparation Institute (EPI)

a photographer, writer, and performance artist. During his three-week stay in Lake

courses for aspiring teachers.”

Wales, Khali gave lectures and workshops to area schools, and photographed scenes around the city for a collection of new work that was displayed at the Arts Center’s Michael Crews Gallery.

To keep up with the growth, the Center is now oﬀering classes six days a week, from as early as 7:30 a.m. to as late as 9:30 p.m. The Center also increasingly employs cohort scheduling, so students get the

During a wrap-up event in October, residents expressed their appreciation for having

courses they need in quick succession; doing so allows the students

experienced Khali’s talents.

to still work or care for families, and allows the Center to serve as many students as possible.

“Saddi came to our school and told us to put ourselves in the shoes of someone else and write from that point of view,” said Allison Milian, a Lake Wales High School student and budding poet. “Just in doing that, I got to know my fellow classmates better. We

“Our goal is to fully utilize the building — we have to, to keep up with the demand,” Garnett said.

had to really put ourselves out there. We sat in a room and got to know each other

Among the highlights of 2013 were services provided through the

— and we might not have done that otherwise.

Student Success Center. Each month, about 1,400 students access the

“Doing that gave me conﬁdence in my poetry. I felt like I belonged because I was with people who all like to write poetry, too.”

Student Success Center, which oﬀers innovative programs and services that incorporate

The Arts Center was also a catalyst for performances by Vocal Trash, a group that uses

different learning styles, all

recycled items as instruments and sings about environmental sustainability, and

to support a student-centered learning environment.

Randy Corinthian, a South Florida-based saxophonist, producer and educator. The variety and impact of the Arts Center’s 2013 events are but a taste of what the

“If you want to further your education, if you want to be

community can expect in years to come, Craig said.

part of a local student body,

“We’re going to oﬀer cultural experiences that are relevant to everyone, and through that

you can do all that right here

diverse programming, members of this community will have a deeper understanding

at the JD Alexander Center,”

of themselves as individuals, but also those all around them.”

Garnett said.

September 18, 2013 Polk State Approved for Bachelor’s in Aerospace Sciences

THE DETAILS

Polk will use its $1.6 million award from the U.S. Department of Labor to add a mechanical design and fabrication concentration to its Engineering Technology degree.

September 20, 2013 Polk Receives $1.6 Million Department of Labor Grant

SECONDCHANCES

New Polk State High School Helping Students From Troubled Circumstances Achieve Education

Dustin Powell doesn’t hesitate when asked to imagine a life Polk’s collegiate high schools put higher

without Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College High School.

of — or are unlikely to graduate from — high school, helping them to earn both a high school diploma and substantial

“I’d be in jail,” he said.

college credit.

education within reach for its youngest students, and

Gateway to College serves students who have dropped out

Powell is 19, well-spoken with an easy smile. He loves the

During its first semester of operation, Polk State Lakeland

are just one example of

outdoors and dreams of one day becoming a wildlife officer.

the College’s eﬀorts to

But growing up, he never fit in at traditional schools. He

and came from all over the county. Many had not attended

blames it partly on attention deficit disorder, partly on never

school for at least six months. Homelessness and teenage

increase accessibility throughout its history. Back in the 1970s, the College — working under the slogan “If you yearn to

Gateway served 45 students. They ranged in age from 16 to 21

feeling accepted by his schoolmates or teachers. Whatever

pregnancy — they’re just a couple of the serious social issues

the reason, he got into trouble — first schoolyard mischief,

represented in the ﬁrst class.

then scrapes with the law.

What the students all had in common was this: They had every

learn, we reach to teach”

“Most of my memories from when I was a kid are of being in

reason to give up on getting an education, but Gateway oﬀered

— was holding night

the principal’s oﬃce. I was always getting detentions,” he said.

them one last chance — and they had to take it.

classes in high schools

By his senior year of high school, things had reached a breaking

throughout the county and operating a van equipped as a mobile counseling and registration center.

point and Powell was no longer attending classes. He spent eight months out of school, delivering pizza and foundering.

obstacles these students have faced, and that now they’re turning it around to achieve what just a short time ago seemed

“I still knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t see a way to

impossible,” said Polk State Lakeland Provost Steve Hull. “They

make it happen. I thought it was too late for me,” he said.

came from some really desperate points in their lives, and now

College personnel also set up booths in shopping

“It’s really incredible when you hear about the enormous

Then he learned of Polk State’s newest high school, and

a high school diploma and a college degree are within reach.”

centers and malls. The

suddenly he could see a path out of his troubled childhood

To serve the students who face the most challenging of

Ledger described the

to an education and the career of his dreams.

circumstances, Polk State Lakeland Gateway holds classes

outreach as a “move to spread the gospel of education.”

Now, he’s on track to graduate with his high school diploma and a handful of college credits in May 2014. He plans on training at Polk State’s Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety to begin his career in law enforcement.

I was able to make it here, to get out of trouble with my head

Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College High School opened its doors in August 2013, as one of the newest institutions added

and assistance with navigating social services — anything to help eliminate the obstacles standing between them and

In addition, Polk State Lakeland Gateway students are required to take at least three college courses, for a total of nine credit hours.

to the Gateway to College National Network.

delivered in a blended — online and face-to-face — format.

academic success.

still above water, and make it to Gateway,” he said.

care for their families. For added accessibility, coursework is

Students also receive tutoring, one-to-one instructional support,

“I had to do everything wrong before I got it right, but thankfully

POLK STATE COLLEGE OCTOBER

in the afternoon and at night, allowing students to work or

October 7, 2013 Polk State Helps High School Students Learn About Possibilities in Manufacturing

October 7, 2013 Polk’s Mock Courtroom Exercise Readies Students for Future Testimony; Hailed by State Attorney

October 15, 2013 Students: Hispanic Heritage Month Scholarships Will Help Dreams Come True

polk.edu | 21 “That’s crucial,” Hull said. “We demystify the

By the spring, she had come to Florida, but her

college experience for students, helping them

situation only worsened, thanks to many factors,

to get a jumpstart on college studies.”

from her dad’s health problems, to the death of

Like Polk State’s two other collegiate high

her great-grandmother, to her parents’ divorce.

Collegiate High Schools Report Another Successful Graduating Class

schools, Polk State Lakeland Gateway is free to

Ellenburg’s education, she said, was no one’s

attend, further easing the students’ entry into

priority. Not even hers.

State Lakeland Collegiate High School reported another

higher education.

She was out of school for eight months, but like

high-achieving graduating class in 2013.

her classmates, she has found the ability to start

At Polk State Chain of Lakes, located in Winter Haven, 100

again at Polk State Lakeland Gateway.

percent of the senior class — comprised of 147 students

seeing the college experience demystiﬁed for

“I just grabbed at this,” said Ellenburg, who lives

— graduated. Of those, 37 students had completed their

her students was just one of the dramatic

in Auburndale. “I knew I had to get my high

Associate in Arts degree by the end of their senior year.

changes she’d witnessed.

school diploma and that no one was going to

Among those who didn’t complete their degrees, the

make that happen but me.

average number of college credits earned was 49; the

At the end of the ﬁrst semester, Polk State Lakeland Gateway Director Sallie Brisbane said

“These students have been given a second

Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School and Polk

Associate in Arts degree consists of 60 credits.

chance, and you can see it in the way they carry

“But here, we’re not totally on our own. The

themselves. They walk a little taller, speak a

teachers really want to help the students get

little stronger. They’re taking part in campus

what they need. They’re here trying for us every

119 students, who also achieved a 100-percent graduation

activities. They’re making plans for their futures,”

day, even on the days when we don’t want to

rate. Of those, 42 students earned their Associate in Arts

she said.

try for ourselves.”

degree by the end of their senior year.

Since coming to Polk State Lakeland Gateway,

Among those who didn’t complete their degrees at Polk

Ellenburg said, she’s grown to love school, and

State Lakeland Collegiate, the average number of credits

she’s more focused than ever on graduating

earned was 54.

early in 2013, when her parents moved to Polk

from high school, getting a college degree, and

Not only did the Class of 2013 earn the credits, they also

County and she remained in Tennessee. She

becoming — well, she wants to become a lot

earned high grades.

spent months staying with various friends and

of things.

A perfect example: Whitney Ellenburg. Ellenburg, 19, had her life turned inside out

relatives, quickly entering in a downward spiral. At her lowest point, she attempted to commit suicide, she said.

Polk State Lakeland Collegiate’s 2013 senior class included

At Polk State Chain of Lakes, 74 students had a grade-point

“A baker, a physical therapist and a pharmacist.

average of 3.75 or higher; 22 had a GPA between 3.5 and

But right now I’m focused on the pharmacist,

3.749; and 29 were between a 3.2 and 3.49.

she said.”

Polk State Lakeland Collegiate had similar results, with 72 graduates achieving a GPA of 3.75 or higher; 20 earning a 3.5 to 3.749; and 19 earning between a 3.2 and 3.49. Members of the 2013 class went on to study at institutions such as Flagler College, Miami International University of Art & Design, Rollins College, Stetson University, and public universities across the state. Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate and Polk State Lakeland Collegiate are public charter high schools that allow students to fulﬁll the requirements for their diplomas while also earning college credits. Both schools serve juniors and seniors who meet rigorous academic criteria.

Whitney Ellenburg 15

October 15, 2013 New Partnership Provides Polk State Students Path to FSU Master’s Program

Dustin Powell 18

October 17, 2013 Polk Mourns Loss of Founding President Fred Lenfestey

October 21, 2013 Polk Wins National Recognition for Manufacturing Training Program

October 21, 2013 Science Professor Natalie Whitcomb Named Outstanding Educator

October 29, 2013 Students Put Learning Into Action With Annual Rain Garden Project

22 students who were “couch surfing” — that is moving from

SERVINGOUR STUDENTS

one friend’s house to the next, with no permanent place to live. There were others who lived out of their cars. “I started stockpiling all this stuff at my desk,” Toney said. “Then I started asking other professors if they’d seen the same thing — and they had.”

Polk State’s My Brother’s

My Brother’s Keeper Celebrates One Year of Helping Needy Students

Keeper is just one

Polk State’s My Brother’s Keeper, a service for needy students

example of the College

that began as a bowl of cereal bars in one professor’s office,

making a positive impact

Something had to be done. Toney teamed with Director of Grants Administration Jennifer Fiorenza and fellow Psychology Professor Katrina Smith to solve the problem. The solution became My Brother’s Keeper, whose name

celebrated its first anniversary in 2013.

on its community.

expresses the responsibility we all have to help others,

Students in the College’s

“Instead of pretending we don’t have homeless students,

approximately 50 clubs

Polk State, with the help of so many generous donors, has

and organizations

addressed the issue head on. We want to be part of the solution,”

Today, My Brother’s Keeper is a modular building on the

said Polk State President Eileen Holden.

campus of Polk State Winter Haven, with shelves full of canned

contribute more than

and microwavable food, bins brimming with deodorant,

20,000 hours of volunteer service annually, from mentoring kids to cleaning up local lakes.

Toney said.

“If we chip away at it a little at a time, we will make systemic

shampoo, and other personal necessities, and a bank of

change.”

computers for students who need to write a resume or

My Brother’s Keeper had its beginnings in the observations

search for a job.

of Carole Shelton-Toney, a psychology professor and the

It is a physical place where students — no matter what they

College’s coordinator of veteran services.

need — can come to get help.

Toney, who served 10 years in the Army’s Quartermaster Corps,

And come they have — My Brother’s Keeper served more

the service that provides soldiers with food and supplies,

than 500 students in its first year.

always kept a stash of snacks in her oﬃce. In time, she realized

My Brother’s Keeper is a service-learning project, one of

her students weren’t coming to her just for something to quell

many at the College, in which students utilize their in-class

their afternoon munchies.

learning to benefit the community. Students work at the

They were coming to her for the only food they might eat

modular, accept donations, and connect those in need with

all day.

appropriate resources.

“They were genuinely hungry. If I had cereal bars, for instance, I would see students take one and then take a couple more to put in their backpacks so they would have something to eat later,” she said. Her bowl of cereal bars would often only last a couple hours. As the students came by more frequently, some asked her for personal hygiene items, or if she knew of a place where they could wash their clothes. She became aware of some Carole Shelton-Toney

POLK STATE COLLEGE NOVEMBER

November 4, 2013 College Honors Veterans with Events on Lakeland, Winter Haven Campuses

November 7, 2013 Polk’s International Education Week Includes Guest Lecture by Stonehenge Researcher

November 13, 2013 Polk State’s Peter Usinger Becomes New President of the Association of Florida Colleges; First from Polk to Hold the Position

As word of Polk State’s project to help needy students has spread, businesses and individuals from across the College and county have stepped forward with food, personal hygiene items, furniture for the modular building, money, and so on. To strengthen connections with the community that has so warmly received My Brother’s Keeper, Toney began assigning students in her classes the task of collecting business cards. Those cards now cover the walls of the My Brother’s Keeper building and serve an important purpose, Toney said. “It helps them to think about what they might want to do as a career, and it gets them started on networking. Getting a job nowadays is all about who you know,” she said. Some students have gotten jobs by calling the numbers on those cards and mentioning My Brother’s Keeper, a huge step on the path out of the circumstances that led them to seek help in the first place, said student supervisor Casmore Shaw. While food remains the largest portion of the help My Brother’s Keeper provides, it has expanded to encompass other services, too, including resume preparation and specialized assistance for veterans. The students who utilize My Brother’s Keeper largely like to remain anonymous, but they all have inspiring stories. Toney shared the story of a student who gradually became thinner during the course of a semester. His family was going

Another student had her laptop stolen, leaving her unable to take online courses. She got a new one through the My Brother’s Keeper scholarship fund.

through economic hardships and he wasn’t eating. My Brother’s Keeper helped him find a food assistance program.

“ 500 ”

There was another student who found a place to live and a job. She recently graduated.

My Brother’s

Keeper served

What’s just as inspiring as stories such as these, Shaw said,

more than

is the extent to which the College and community have banded together to help students who need it most. He’s certain that those who have learned about My Brother’s Keeper, been touched by its mission, and have offered their

students in its

help, have gained just as much as those who have received

first year.

food or toiletries. “It gives me chills,” Shaw said. “People here genuinely care.” Casmore Shaw

November 19, 2013 Polk State EMS Student Helps Revive Man After Heart Attack

November 20, 2013 Polk State Theatre Gives Special Performance of The Fantasticks for 400 Area Students

November 22, 2013 Nurses from Puerto Rico Studying in Polk’s Robotic Surgery Credential Program

24 Jarred Willis

COMPETITIVE EDGE In 2013, members of the

New Internship Program Helps Students Get Ahead in Workforce

College’s Career

Polk State College students are gaining new skills, experiences,

Development Services

and a competitive edge through an Internship Program

In 2013, the Internship Program helped place just under 50

and Internship Program

launched in early 2013.

students in positions at a wide variety of employers, such as

staﬀ presented a series of

Florida's Natural, SUN 'n FUN, United Way, and the YMCA, just

workshops to help

"Internships are, of course, tremendous learning opportunities

to name a few. In another sign of the first-year growth, by

students prepare for

for students, thrusting them into the professional world and

the end of 2013, more than 200 students and alumni, and

success in the working

making their classroom studies take on real-life meaning," said

115 employers, had registered with the Internship Program,

world. Topics ranged

Polk State President Eileen Holden. "For the businesses, too,

from networking to

expressing their interest in its services.

interns add tons of value, as they contribute to an operation's

projecting a professional

"We were very pleased with the response from the community

productivity and help move it forward.

image, including tips for

to the Internship Program," Chisholm said. "We received so many

how to dress for job

"But for all the beneﬁts to be had through internships, Polk

valuable requests for students to participate in meaningful

interviews. Back in 1965,

State lacked a coordinated process for connecting students and

work, and the feedback received was that the experience

students received advice

employers. We listened to our business partners, and of course

was predominately beneficial for both the students and the

on their personal

our students, and created the Internship Program as a way to

businesses.

appearance through an

meet the needs of both sides."

entry in the Student

"Many times the internships have led to job opportunities,

Handbook that read: “All

Heading up the Internship Program is Lynn Chisholm, who acts

which shows that our workforce programs are meeting the

students are expected to

as a liaison between the College's students and area employers,

community's needs and that our students are gaining the

dress neatly and be clean.

helping to create mutually beneﬁcial internships. Chisholm, a

right experience to be assets to the Polk County business

Women shall wear

Polk State alumna who previously worked in human resources

community."

dresses, suits or skirts, and

and workforce development for the City of Lakeland, divides

blouses. Men shall wear

her time between meeting with students to learn about their

suits or slacks, and shirts.

interests and aspirations, and meeting with area employers to

Jarred Willis, a Haines City resident pursuing his Associate in Arts

better understand their interests in hiring Polk State interns.

degree. He used the Internship Program to land a stint with

All shirts must be tucked in, except waist-length

Among the students to utilize the Internship Program was

Bond Clinic's Better Bladder Center. In his internship, Willis

shirts manufactured to be

Then, she compares her notes and, acting as a sort-of internship

created an informational video for patients that incorporates

worn out.”

matchmaker, connects the students and businesses she thinks

animation to explain a medical procedure.

have the most to gain from one another. Students still have to interview or follow whatever hiring protocol the business requires, but Chisholm's pre-screening gives the students a

POLK STATE COLLEGE DECEMBER

"I think going through the Internship Program helped give me some credibility to the employer," Willis said.

greater chance of landing the internships they desire — and

"I'm really grateful for the opportunity I've had at Bond. I've

a greater chance that the businesses will be satisﬁed with the

had to learn a lot of new things to complete the project, and

interns they hire from the College.

it's sharpened my knowledge in a lot of diﬀerent areas. This

December 4, 2013 State Senator and Polk Alumna Denise Grimsley Speaks at Two Nursing Events

December 7, 2013 Polk’s Paper on Manufacturing Initiative Selected as 2013 Winner by the Southern Association of Community, Junior and Technical Colleges

polk.edu | 25

“ ”

Many of our internships have led to job opportunities, which shows that our programs are meeting the community's needs.

experience is great for my resume, and I know that it's going

your feet. I also learned the importance of customer service,"

to help set me apart when it's time to look for a job."

Allen said.

Also using the Polk Internship Program in its ﬁrst year was

Allen's supervisor during her internship was Allison Jones,

Sumer Allen, a Lake Alfred resident who graduated with her

director of event services, who said having a formal process

Associate in Arts degree in December 2013. She will continue

for connecting interns and businesses was a huge step for Polk.

her education at the University of Central Florida to earn a "You get a better pairing," she said. "Knowing that the students

bachelor's degree in Event Management.

have a sincere interest in a certain area is important. Yes, they're The Internship Program helped her get a position at The

green, but they want to get the skills. That means the businesses

Lakeland Center, where she learned about event management

are going to get something from the students as well as help

firsthand, from booking to post-event cleanup.

them get started in their ﬁeld."

"I learned that in event management, nothing ever goes as

For more information on the Internship Program, visit

We listened to our

it should. You just have to take it in stride and be quick on

polk.edu/interns.

business partners,

“

and of course our students, and created the Internship Program as a way to

meet the needs of both sides.

”

Sumer Allen 15

December 11, 2013 Polk State Music Professor John Anderson Receives City of Winter Haven Proclamation

December 19, 2013 Polk State Aerospace to Be Located at Airside Center Beginning in 2014

THE DETAILS

By moving to the Polk State Airside Center, Polk State Aerospace now has dedicated classroom space and an area for ﬂight-simulation technology.

ALUMNINEWS Rita Smith, 1974 Grad, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award Polk State alumna Rita Smith, a national advocate

“Polk State started to expand my view of what was going on in the

against domestic violence, received the Association

world and how I could impact it,” Smith said. “It started in me a vision

of Florida College’s (AFC) 2013 LeRoy Collins

for myself and what I could achieve.”

Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is one of the highest bestowed by the

Polk’s inﬂuence on her way of thinking has been helpful throughout her career, Smith said.

AFC. Smith is the first alumnus of Polk State to receive the award.

“At the national level, in working to stop violence against women, I have to understand how other people perceive problems and solutions,” she

“We at the College are so very proud to call Rita

said. “I began being able to do that while at Polk State.”

Smith one of our own,” said Polk State President Eileen Holden.

After Polk, Smith went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University.

“She has dedicated every day of her career to advocating against domestic violence. Her work has led countless women and children

Her career path took her to Colorado, where she worked at a residential

out of dangerous, frightening situations to safety and security. She

treatment center for emotionally disturbed children. Though she

is an inspiration.”

enjoyed the work, her curiosity was piqued when she noticed a newspaper advertisement for a counseling position.

Smith, a Winter Haven native, graduated from Polk State College in 1974, and now leads the Denver-based National Coalition Against

She had some experience as a counselor, and decided to apply. During

Domestic Violence (NCADV).

the job interview, she learned the position was at a battered women’s shelter — and just like that, she became aware of domestic violence,

“I am honored to do this work every day, because I know when I go

an issue she’d never heard of previously.

home, I’ve saved lives,” Smith said. “This award recognizes me as an individual, but the thing I’m pleased about is that the work is being

Her college courses never addressed domestic violence, so she

recognized. Domestic violence work is being seen as valuable and

learned everything on the job. Soon, however, she realized that many

something that should be honored. That’s what is important to me.

of the children she had previously worked with at the residential treatment center were acting out because they had experienced family

“It’s also very exciting because Polk State is being seen as a place where people who want to change the world can begin that process.” Smith grew up in Winter Haven as the youngest of six children. Her father, Vernon Smith Sr., had an eighth-grade education and worked as a military cook. Later, he owned Sonny’s Café, which catered to day laborers, and worked as a cook at Winter Haven Hospital. Her mother, Sarah, operated an in-home daycare for many years. Soon after graduating from Winter Haven High School in 1972, Smith realized that a college degree was the key to a good-paying job. She

violence. She also learned that problems arise when people do not feel safe in their homes, and how important it is to make homes safe for children. The biggest shock, she said, was realizing that domestic violence could happen to anyone. “It can and does happen to anyone, and to lots more people than most of us realize,” she said in a 2011 interview with Polk State, prior to receiving its Distinguished Alumnus Award.

enrolled at what was then Polk Community College, located just a few

“It was a very newly defined social problem when I began working

blocks from her home, becoming the ﬁrst in her family to go to college.

in the field in 1981. It had not been identified as a crime or social ill

Two years later, she earned her Associate in Arts degree in psychology. Smith described her time at Polk as invaluable.

until the very late 1970s. Before that, as Gloria Steinem said once, ‘for women it was just called life.’”

polk.edu | 27

She brieﬂy returned to Florida to work in the ﬁlm industry, but

visited the White House during the Clinton and George W.

still dedicated time to the domestic violence cause, volunteering

Bush administrations.

for Peace River Center in Lakeland and serving on the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence board of directors.

Smith said the greatest accomplishment thus far in her career has been contributing to the Violence Against Women Act,

In 1992, she returned to Colorado and was hired as conference

originally passed in 1994 and then reauthorized every ﬁve

coordinator for the NCADV.

years since. The act combined new provisions to hold domestic violence oﬀenders accountable with programs to provide

A few months later, the executive director was fired. Smith

services to victims.

and another staﬀ member remained, and together they rebuilt the organization. Today, the NCADV is a national nonprofit that works at a grassroots level to end domestic violence. Its national board

expand my view of

Her work, however, is far from done, Smith said. Society needs

what was going on in

to take a harder line on domestic violence on a community

the world and

level, Smith said, and young people need better education

how I could impact it...

on what defines a healthy relationship.

consists of advocates who work in the ﬁeld every day, keeping the organization focused on its mission.

“I think what will make the biggest difference is having a signiﬁcant number of men who say, ‘This isn’t how you treat

In her role as executive director, Smith builds corporate

someone you love; this isn’t how a good man acts,’” she said.

partnerships and secures donations. She is also often called on to speak about domestic violence, having appeared on

Smith said she is also interested in working to help Winter

national news broadcasts and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Haven expand its resources for domestic violence victims.

Politicians also call upon Smith for her knowledge about domestic violence and passion to end it. She was present in

“

Polk State started to

Smith received the award at the AFC’s annual convention in Orlando in November 2013.

the Oval Office in 2010 when President Barack Obama

The AFC is the professional association for Florida’s 28 public

signed the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. She

community and state colleges, their boards of directors,

has also met several times with Vice President Joe Biden and

employees, retirees and associates.

It started in me a vision for myself and what I could achieve.

” From left, Association of Florida Colleges Immediate Past-President Byron Todd, Polk State alumna Rita Smith, Polk State President Eileen Holden, and Association of Florida Colleges Executive Director & CEO Michael Brawer at the ceremony where Smith received the 2013 LeRoy Collins Lifetime Achievement Award. Smith graduated from Polk in 1974 and now leads the Denver-based National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

ALUMNINEWS George A. Kalogridis, 1973 Grad, Now Leads Walt Disney World Resort Polk State College alumnus George A. Kalogridis was named president of Walt Disney World Resort in early 2013, 42 years after he was hired as a busboy during the early days of the Orlando attraction. His ascent to the highest ranks of the Disney empire has its humble beginnings in Polk County. He is the grandson of a Greek immigrant and the son of Tony Kalogridis, a small-business owner who operated As the Walt Disney Company grew into a global entertainment

Tony’s Pharmacy in Winter Haven for many years.

behemoth, Kalogridis climbed its corporate ladder. He has served After he graduated from Winter Haven High School in 1971, Kalogridis

as general manager of the Grand Floridian Beach Resort, vice president

enrolled in what was then Polk Junior College. To pay for his higher

of EPCOT, senior vice president of operations at Disneyland Resort in

education, he landed a job bussing tables at Disney’s Contemporary

Anaheim, Calif., chief operating oﬃcer at Disneyland Resort Paris, and

Resort, becoming one of the original employees hired for the opening

president of the Disneyland Resort.

of Walt Disney World Resort that same year. His dedication to Disney and the experience he has amassed in his Toeing the careful balance between work and education paid oﬀ for

42-year career have all positioned him well for his newest role. According

Kalogridis in 1973, when he earned an Associate in Arts degree from

to Walt Disney World: “Throughout his career, Kalogridis has proven

Polk. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the

himself to be a leader in the travel and leisure industry, as well as a

University of Central Florida.

respected partner in the community.”

In 2010, Polk State College honored him with its Distinguished

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs lauded Kalogridis’

Alumnus Award.

“operational expertise, leadership and passion.”

DISTINGUISHEDALUMNI

Polk State College Honors Steve Hogan and Robert R. “Bobby” Green

In May 2013, Polk State presented its Distinguished

In December 2013, Polk State presented its Distinguished

Alumnus Award to Steve Hogan, a 1989 graduate and

Alumnus Award to Robert R. “Bobby” Green, a 1985

chief executive oﬃcer of Florida Citrus Sports.

graduate and city manager for the City of Auburndale.

Florida Citrus Sports is a nonproﬁt event management company that produces the Capital One Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl, Florida Blue Florida Classic, and other Central Florida events designed to boost the area’s economy and benefit

Green went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida in 1987, and his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of South Florida in 1988.

at-risk children and educational initiatives. A native of Auburndale, he was elected to the Auburndale City Commission Hogan received a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Central Florida in 1991. He worked for McCaw

in 1980, when he was just 21. In 1982, he was elected mayor, becoming the youngest elected mayor in Florida’s history.

Communications and The New York Times before joining Florida Citrus Sports in 1995. He worked his way up to events manager, assistant executive director,

He has been city manager since 1991, ranking him as the county’s

and interim executive director, taking over the position of CEO in 2006. Hogan

longest-serving city manager. He leads a staﬀ of 168 employees, reports to

also currently serves as the president of the Football Bowl Association.

ﬁve elected oﬃcials, and oversees a municipal budget of $31 million.

ALUMNINOTES class of JORDAN 2010 BURKS

class of RENEE 2007 HEACOCK

class of JANIE 1999 HUGHES

class of GREG 1987 LITTLETON

class of ALI 2013 MANN

class of BRENDA 1989 PATTERSON

class of SHANE 2003 REYNOLDS

class of MAYRA 2011 HIDALGO SALAZAR

polk.edu | 29

class of ASHLEY 2001 TROUTMAN

Jordan Burks is a music teacher at Auburndale Central

Brenda Patterson is the fine arts and programming librarian

Elementary. He earned an Associate in Arts degree from Polk

for the Lakeland Public Library. She graduated from Polk in

State in 2010 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in

1989 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and

If Polk State

Music Education from Florida Southern College. In addition

master’s degree in Library Science from the University of South

College hadn’t

to teaching, he gives private lessons, and performs with a

Florida. Her work includes arranging special events for the library,

local band as well as his church worship group.

such as book discussions and author visits.

Renee Heacock is a registered nurse at Lakeland Regional

Shane Reynolds is now rescue chief of the Lakeland Fire

Medical Center. She attended Polk State on a soccer scholarship,

Department. He earned his Associate in Science in Fire Science

graduating with her Associate in Arts degree in 2007 before

Technology from Polk State in 2003 and his Associate in Science

moving on to Florida Southern College, where she completed

in Emergency Medical Services in 2005. He is now currently

her bachelor’s degree in Nursing.

studying toward his Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management degree at the College.

Janie Hughes has worked as an oncology infusion nurse at the Moﬃtt Cancer Center in Tampa for 10 years. She graduated

Mayra Hidalgo Salazar received a full scholarship to Sarah

from Polk State in 1999 with her Associate in Science degree in

Lawrence College, one of the nation’s top private liberal arts

Nursing, which helped her change the course of her life from

colleges. Hidalgo Salazar came to America as an undocumented

migrant worker to registered nurse. She is now back at Polk

immigrant from Costa Rica when she was a young child. After

State, studying in its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

graduating from high school in 2009, her immigration status

program. She plans to graduate with her BSN in 2016.

made pursuing higher education diﬃcult. However, at Polk

“

opened its doors to me, I don’t think I would have any hope of finishing my education —Mayra Hidalgo Salazar

”

State she found an aﬀordable, accessible path to her Associate Greg Littleton received the Spirit of Leadership Polk award

in Arts degree, which she earned in 2011. At Sarah Lawrence,

from the Leadership Polk Alumni Association. Littleton is a 1987

she will study public policy and Spanish language and literature.

graduate and president and chief executive oﬃcer of Citizens

She is considering eventually attending law school.

Bank & Trust. He is also a member of the Polk State District Board of Trustees.

Ashley Troutman is a ﬁeld representative for Woodmen of the World, and provides insurance and investment services to

Ali Mann has been named Sportswoman of the Year at St. John

members of the Lakeland community and surrounding areas.

Fisher College (Rochester, N.Y.). Mann was the 2013 valedictorian

He serves on the Lakeland Code Enforcement Board and the

at Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School, graduating

Advisory Board for Lighthouse Ministries. He is also a graduate

with both her diploma and Associate in Arts degree. Mann plays

of Leadership Lakeland Class 27 and the 2013 Citizens Academy.

setter for the St. John Fisher volleyball team, and is also studying

Troutman graduated from Polk State in 2001.

pharmacy. Sportswoman of the Year is an honor rarely given to a freshman player.

Do you have an interesting story to share?

KEEPINTOUCHWITHPOLK

Polk State College loves to share the stories of its alumni and the diﬀerence they’re making in the world. Send your alumni updates to news@polk.edu.

BOARDOFTRUSTEES Polk State’s District Board of Trustees

chair LINDA

PILKINGTON

vice chair DAN

DORRELL

board member RICARDO

GARCIA

Polk State College, like all of Florida’s public colleges, is governed by

board member GREG

LITTLETON

board member TERESA

MARTINEZ

board member MARK G.

TURNER

Academies advisory board; member of the Polk State Corporate College

a local District Board of Trustees that serves without compensation.

advisory board; and a member of the Legislative and Government

The trustees are appointed by Florida’s governor and are vested with

Committee of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. She was a past

governance of all matters of College policy, programs, building,

chairwoman of the Polk State College Foundation.

budget, and personnel.

Dan Dorrell is a certiﬁed public accountant (CPA) and partner at Cross,

Polk State’s District Board of Trustees elected new leadership in fall

Fernandez & Riley, LLP. He was a member of Polk State’s ﬁrst graduating

2013, in accordance with state statute. Board members unanimously

class, and his extensive community involvements include service on

elected Linda Pilkington as chair and Dan Dorrell as vice chair. Both

the Sebring Utilities Commission, the Sebring Chamber of Commerce,

will serve one-year terms in their elected positions. In December 2013,

the Highlands County Family YMCA, which he helped to found, and

Gov. Rick Scott reappointed Trustee Mark Turner; his new term ends

the Florida State University and Polk State College Alumni Associations.

in May 2017.

He also serves on the board of SunTrust Bank and helped to found the Highlands County Leadership Program. He is a veteran of the

Linda Pilkington is director of community and government relations at Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center. She is now retired from the practice of nursing and has extensive experience in healthcare

Florida National Guard and holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida State University, as well as an Associate in Arts degree from Polk State.

marketing, nursing education and community and government relations, and has held leadership positions in higher education,

Ricardo Garcia is the owner and operator of Gulf Coast Avionics Corp.

healthcare, and nursing administration. She holds a bachelor's degree

of Lakeland; Paciﬁc Coast Avionics of Portland, Ore.; and Central Florida

in Nursing from the University of the Philippines and a master's degree

Avionics & Instruments of Leesburg. He serves on the board of directors

in Teaching Nursing in Biophysical Pathology from New York University.

at the SUN ‘n FUN Fly-In and the Consortium Board of the Central

She was a governor's appointee to the Central Florida Regional Planning

Florida Aerospace Academy.

Council; current board member and past chairwoman of Citizen CPR;

Greg Littleton is president and chief executive oﬃcer of Citizens Bank

graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Polk; board member and

& Trust. He graduated from Polk State College in 1987. He went on to

ﬁnance committee member of Polk Works (which in 2014 becomes

attend Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee and graduated in

CareerSource Polk); chair of the board of the Haines City Northeast Polk

1989 cum laude with a degree in ﬁnance. He has been at Citizens Bank

County Regional Chamber of Commerce (2013); school advisory

& Trust since 1997 and has been president since 2001. He currently

committee member of Ridge Career Center; member of the Polk

serves as immediate past chairman for the Central Florida Development

polk.edu | 31

Council, an executive committee member and past chair for

of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, Central Florida

Polk Vision, board member and treasurer for the Polk Museum

Speech and Hearing Center, and the Imperial Symphony

of Art, and board member and president-elect for the Greater

Orchestra. The Lakeland Chapter of the National Association of

Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. He has served on the

Women Business Owners gave her its Women of Distinction

board of directors for the Florida Bankers Association, Florida

Award, and the Central Florida Development Council selected

Bank Pac, and the Lake Wales Arts Council. He has also served

her as the International Individual of the Year in 1997. She

as past president for the Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce,

received the Governor’s Point of Light Award, and in 2006 the

East Polk Committee of 100, and was a member of the Florida

Polk County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed Teresa

Statewide Passenger Rail Commission. In 2012, he received

Martinez Day in recognition of her contributions during the 2004

the College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He and his wife,

hurricane season. In 2013, she received the Entrepreneurship

Julie, and their two daughters, Currie Ann and Anna Beth, live

Golden Garland Award from the Ledger Media Group.

in Winter Haven.

Mark G. Turner is an attorney practicing in the areas of real

Teresa Martinez is the founder and president of the Institute

estate, estate planning, probate and guardianship, business

of Spanish Communication Inc., and a Polk State College alumna.

law, and civil litigation. He is a native of Winter Haven and a

Aside from working in language instruction, translation, and

current board member and past president of the Polk State

interpretation, she has also produced and hosted Spanish

College Foundation. He is also past president of the Greater

programming for radio and television. She is the author of the

Winter Haven Area Chamber of Commerce. He has served

bilingual book Success in Exile — Five Decades of Cuban Stories.

in leadership roles for the American Red Cross, Community

A native of Cuba, her family ﬂed the country for Polk County

Foundation of Greater Winter Haven, Girls, Inc., Habitat for

when she was 15. After graduating from Polk State in 1975,

Humanity, and Main Street Winter Haven. He is a graduate

she attended the University of Central Florida, graduating with

of Leadership Winter Haven and Leadership Polk, and was a

a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She spent 11 years teaching

Florida Blue Key Leadership Honorary member at the University

Spanish at Lakeland High School. She is the chairwoman of the

of Florida. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from

Hispanic Club of Lakeland, which is in charge of the Annual

the University of Florida and his Juris Doctor degree from

Polk Hispanic Festival. She has served on the boards of directors

Stetson University College of Law.

“

The College has given students the opportunity to access affordable, high-quality education for 50 years, and it will continue to do so for decades to come. Plus, it has a huge economic impact on our entire community because of its workforce-targeted degree offerings, which prepare students for employment and increased earnings. The College has done so much to improve people’s lives in so many different sections of the community. I am honored to serve the College in any way I can. — Linda Pilkington, chair

”

“

I was at Polk as a student in the first year of its existence. Now, 50 years later, I’m vice chair of its District Board of Trustees. It’s a little overwhelming. I don’t think that happens very often.

It’s very unique and I still haven’t gotten over it. — Dan Dorrell, vice chair

”

ENDOWEDCHAIRS Polk Names Six Endowed Teaching Chairs in 2013

11 years at Polk

DAVID ALEXANDER

24 years at Polk

KAYE BETZ

14 years at Polk

GREGORY HARRIS

4 years at Polk

MAVRA KEAR

5 years at Polk

LOGAN RANDOLPH

22 years at Polk

LAUREL SMITH

Six professors were recognized in 2013 as Endowed Teaching Chairs.

has taken a leadership role in its implementation. She holds a Bachelor

Established in 1996, these awards have been granted to deserving and

of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Florida and a

talented professors 69 times, representing more than $385,000 in

Master of Education degree in Mathematics Education from Georgia

funding. Each winner is granted $5,000, which can be used for a variety

State University. She plans to use the Endowed Teaching Award to

of learning environment improvements, such as continuing education,

further her knowledge of the history of mathematics to enhance the

professional education opportunities, the purchase of state-of-the-art

Explorations in Mathematics course she teaches.

technology and equipment, attendance at educational conferences and seminars, and enrichment trips that strengthen the professor’s teaching ability.

Gregory Harris is the recipient of the Theatre Seats Endowed Teaching Chair. He joined Polk in 1999 and is a Psychology professor and the department coordinator and assessment coordinator for the Social

David Alexander is the recipient of the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union

Sciences Department. This is his second Endowed Teaching Chair. He

Endowed Teaching Chair and is a professor of Humanities/Ethics and

has served in leadership roles on the Faculty Senate and on many

World Religion. This is the second Endowed Teaching Chair he has

other committees. He is president of the Alumni Association Board

earned during his 11 years at Polk. The creator of a diverse range of

and a board member of the Polk State College Foundation. He holds

classes and the Interfaith project, he has served as the department

an associate’s degree from Polk, a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from

coordinator at Polk State Lakeland and on the Multicultural Committee.

the University of Central Florida, and a master’s degree in Psychology

He focuses strongly on leadership development and mentoring. He

and Counseling from Troy State University. He is using his award funds

earned his Bachelor of Arts in History in 1978, his master’s in Philosophy

to complete his doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership at

in 1987, and a second master’s in History from the University of

Grand Canyon University, to enhance technological pedagogy in his

Florida in 1992, where he also taught. He graduated with a Ph.D. in

classroom, and to assist students in experiential learning.

1994, and graduated with his second doctorate in 2002.

Mavra Kear is the recipient of the Lakeland Regional Medical Center/

Kaye Betz is the recipient of the Attorney Endowed Teaching Chair.

Winter Haven Hospital Endowed Teaching Chair. She joined the College’s

She joined Polk in 1986 as an adjunct mathematics instructor and

Nursing faculty in 2009. She led the design and implementation of

computer specialist, and has been a full-time mathematics faculty

Polk’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which earned national

member for 24 years. She has served on numerous committees, and

accreditation in 2012. She serves as faculty liaison to Lakeland Regional

is currently department coordinator of the Mathematics Department

Medical Center. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Nursing

and Faculty Senate vice president at Polk State Lakeland. She assisted

from the University of Florida and a doctorate in Nursing from the

in the development of the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan and

University of South Florida. She has used the award money to purchase

polk.edu | 33

a laptop computer to develop interactive video lectures for

Laurel Smith is the recipient of the Thelma Raley Endowed

online courses, and to attend a clinical conference on the

Teaching Chair. She joined Polk in 1991 and is a Wellness

newest evidence-based care guidelines.

professor, Wellness department coordinator, and the employee

Logan Randolph is the recipient of the Banking Endowed Teaching Chair. He has been a full-time biology professor at Polk since 2008. He serves as the Winter Haven Science Department Coordinator, teaches in the Honors Program, and participates in service-learning initiatives. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany, a Master of Science in Mycology and Botany, and a doctorate in Botany and Anthropology, all from Miami University. He has used the award money to help facilitate the first year of Polk State’s Bahamas-based field science courses, to enhance greenhouse collections, and to expand the assortment of living material in the College’s laboratory, especially colonies of living species in naturalistic habitats so that students can observe their behavior and their development.

wellness coordinator. A leader in the Florida College System Activities Association, she was named to its Hall of Fame and its Softball Hall of Fame and also has a leadership role in the National Junior College Athletic Association. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from the State University of New York College at Cortland, and a Master of Science in Physical Education from Emporia State University in Kansas. She is using her award funds to undergo and videotape cardiovascular tests that she will use in class discussions. She will also attend the Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research, the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting, and the 5th World Congress on Exercise in Medicine.

continued from page 17

INTERNATIONALSTUDY Strasbourg, France

and different ideas,” said Charde Blocker, a senior at Polk State

In late 2013, students who participated in the College’s second

Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School. “The thing that impressed

Scholarobotics Academy traveled to Strasbourg, France, to

me the most is how much history there was in Strasbourg;

present their research at the 3rd Annual RAMSES (Robotic

much more than I’m used to seeing every day in Winter Haven.”

Assisted Microsurgical & Endoscopic Society) Symposium, an event attended by physicians from around the world.

Natalie Weekfall said the experience reaffirmed her plans to become a medical doctor.

Scholarobotics is a summer program for high school students offered in partnership with Winter Haven Hospital. Students study anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, and get an introduction to robotic surgery. This year, the 16 students in the program worked in groups completing research projects aimed at advancing the field of

front of me, and to hear from various doctors from various

from various

fields as they presented their experiments, it really inspired

doctors from

me to continue on this path,” said Weekfall, also a senior at

various fields as

Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate, adding that she plans to possibly specialize in robotic surgery.

the surgical field, and building a robotic arm to irrigate the

trip to Germany, Italy, and Switzerland; a busy International

surgical area as needed for the physician’s visibility.

Education Week late in the year, complete with a guest lecture by a Stonehenge researcher based at the University of Buckingham;

students say they’ll never be quite the same after their experience abroad. “My eyes have definitely been opened to different cultures

they presented their experiments, it really

The College’s truly international year also included a study-abroad

Like their fellow international travelers, the Scholarobotics

right in front of me, and to hear

assistant to transfer sutures and an ultrasound probe out of

their projects.

with my career

“Being able to see what I want to do with my career right in

robotic microsurgery. This included building a robotic surgical

In November, the students traveled to Strasbourg to present

“

Being able to see what I want to do

and a group of nurses from Puerto Rico who came to Winter Haven to study in the College’s Robotic Surgery Credential. In 2014, the College will continue to increase its international oﬀerings to include programs in Marseille, Barcelona, Germany, Ireland, the Bahamas, Eastern Europe, Peru, Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam.

inspired me to continue on this path.

”

DIVERSITY 2013 Full of Diversity in Ways Big and Small

At Polk State College, our commitment to diversity is evident every

ELITE VII is the largest class we’ve had yet; fittingly enough, it is

single day, in ways big and small — and 2013 was no exception.

comprised of seven members who represent both the Lakeland and

In October, during our annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, we hosted our ﬁrst-ever Hispanic Melting Pot, an interactive webcast. Polk State alumna and current District Board of Trustees member Teresa Martinez moderated this event at the Lakeland campus. Serving as panelists were Rosalinda Collins, professor of French and

Winter Haven campuses, and departments from Nursing to Student Financial Services to Communications. Since ELITE began, 34 employees have participated. Of those, 15 have been promoted and 18 have developed projects that have been implemented at the College.

Spanish; Saul Reyes, dean of student services at Polk State Winter

Also in November, the College hosted its ﬁrst-ever Veterans Day events

Haven; Sheila Rios, professor of business administration and computer

on both the Lakeland and Winter Haven campuses. Student-veterans

information technology; Carolina Rodriguez, academic adviser; and

were honored for their service and given the opportunity to network

Martha Santiago, dean of academic affairs at Polk State Winter Haven. During the Hispanic Melting Pot, participants both in person and online submitted a wide range of questions, such as “What is the difference between ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’?” and “What are the differences between the various Spanish-speaking countries?” With all of our monthly cultural celebrations, Polk State strives to include strong educational components, and the Hispanic Melting Pot proved to be a prime example of those efforts. You could hear from their reactions — “Wow, I never knew that” was a common utterance — that participants truly did have their eyes opened to the Hispanic culture.

with one another, a variety of vendors, and College departments. It was the College’s way of saying to this very special group of students: We recognize your sacriﬁces and your challenges, and we’re here to help you reach your educational goals. These are the “diversity headlines” for 2013, but as I mentioned earlier, diversity is also evident every day in smaller ways. One that never fails to impress me is when I see students take their counterparts “under their wing.” I regularly witness students give one another advice on how to dress appropriately for class, interview for a job, or follow good study habits. To me, this speaks volumes about the diversity at Polk State. Race, religion, socioeconomic background, none of that matters in these

The webcast of this event is still available at

moments; it’s about students helping students be the best they

hispanicmeltingpot.weebly.com.

can be.

During November’s Disability Awareness Month, the College again

As we in the Office of Equity and Diversity like to say, “Diversity is

hosted the Tampa Bay Strong Dogs, a semi-professional wheelchair

the Uniqueness in You,” and at Polk State, diversity is the uniqueness

basketball team.

in all of us.

As the Strong Dogs zipped down the court of the Polk State Winter Haven Health Center, you could see a new awareness set in among attendees: The Strong Dogs may be conﬁned to wheelchairs, but they’re not letting anything stand in their way. Also in 2013, Polk State convened its seventh class of its ELITE Educational Leadership Enhancement Program. ELITE — Exceptional

Valparisa Baker

Leaders with Innovative Talents and Excellence — combines mentoring

Director of Equity and Diversity

and professional development to help mid-level minority and female employees advance professionally.

CORPORATECOLLEGE Generosity of Business Community Deﬁned 2013 at Corporate College Rob Clancey

For Polk State’s Corporate

Hauser, a supplier of measurement and automation equipment,

College, 2013 was the year of

TriNova, a provider of measurement and process services; and

giving.

AMJ, the Florida division of TriNova.

As plans came together for

From the Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association,

the 47,000-square-foot Polk

the college received ammonia cooling equipment, which like

State Clear Springs Advanced

the PTU will allow for applied, hands-on learning.

Technology Center (ATC), the Corporate College and the Polk State College Foundation reached out to the area business community for its support.

In addition to the $2 million in in-kind donations, the College received nearly $250,000 in support from area employers and individuals. Practically every room of the building bears the name of a local ﬁrm that gave to the cause. A prime example is the Mosaic Auditorium, so named after The Mosaic Company gave $75,000 to the Polk State College Foundation.

Clear Springs, a land company headed by chairman Stan Phelps, had donated $12 million and 20 acres of land toward the project in 2008. Clear Springs’ transformational gift was followed by the Polk County Board of County Commissioner’s investment of $2.5 million to underwrite the infrastructure of the building. With the Clear Springs and county gifts, the building was a

“

What 2013 proved is that the business community of Polk County supports this College and the students it is training

certainty — but just what it would contain was still uncertain.

for the local workforce. We are Polk State Corporate College Director Rob Clancey envisioned a state-of-the-art learning center, where students would have

so grateful to all our partners.

”

access to real-world equipment and distance-learners would feel as if they were right there in the classroom. To make that happen, the College knew, it would need even

The list of other supporters reads like a who’s-who of Polk

more support. As 2013 progressed, and the ATC’s grand opening

County’s business community.

in January 2014 approached, the community and other stakeholders answered the College’s call.

“What 2013 proved is that the business community of Polk County supports this College and the students it is training for

“It was amazing, and so inspiring, for us to receive the response

the local workforce. We are so grateful to all our partners,”

we did,” Clancey said. “Polk State didn’t build this building and

Clancey said.

outﬁt it with so much state-of-the-art technology, the people of Polk County did.”

The ATC is located at 310 Technology Drive in Bartow. In addition to the Polk State Corporate College, which provides a wide

The College received $2 million in in-kind donations, including

range of workforce training programs, it houses high-tech

a $1-million process training unit (PTU) from Rockwell

degree programs. The building will serve more than 7,000

Automation, a leader in industrial automation, Endress +

students annually.

polk.edu | 35

INMEMORIAM Frederick T. Lenfestey

He took on the assignment with a simple, direct goal, as he recalled in a 1974 interview at the College: “(School board members) asked when they employed me, ‘What is your ambition? What do you hope to do ultimately?’ And I am not sure whether I gave them the right answer … but I said, ‘I know that you want me to say that my ambition is to become president of Harvard.’ But I said, ‘Right now, my ambition is to start up a fine institution in Polk County and beyond that, I have no ambition right now.’” With that in mind, Lenfestey got straight to work, turning the grounds of the Bartow Air Base into the county’s first source of public higher education. He and his faculty and staff had just eight months between his hiring and the first day of classes.

Frederick T. Lenfestey, Polk State College’s founding president, who oversaw two decades of remarkable growth, and who even at the height of the country’s civil rights struggles insisted the College be “color blind,” died Oct. 16, 2013. He was 92.

“ ”

President Lenfestey led with integrity and a strong commitment to academic excellence and student success.

“President Lenfestey’s leadership during his 18-year presidency, and his support after he retired, helped shape this institution into what it is today. He led with integrity and a strong commitment to academic excellence and student success. He meant so much to this place and to the tens of thousands of students it has served — even if he never met them personally, his impact certainly touched their lives,” said Polk State

Holden said she has often thought back to the challenges her predecessor faced in building the College from nothing, and she never fails to be amazed by what has grown from those humble beginnings.

President Eileen Holden. “What most impressed me about President Lenfestey, from the ﬁrst Lenfestey was born in Tampa in 1920, and earned his first college

moment I had the opportunity to meet him, was his abiding passion

degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tampa. An

for public higher education and his unshakable conviction that access

Army veteran who served in the Battle of the Bulge and during the

to an aﬀordable college degree would be a game-changer for the

Korean War, he went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in

people and communities of Polk County. I have also been profoundly

Education from the University of Florida.

impacted by the legacy of his courage. It’s hard for most of us to fully

His career in higher education initially took him across state lines, when

grasp the vision that was involved in ‘starting up a college from

he accepted a position as an associate professor in Georgia. However,

scratch’ at a time in which higher education was thought by many to

it was in Florida that he emerged as a leader in higher education,

be a luxury item,” she said.

serving as vice president of what was then Pensacola Junior College.

The key to getting the College oﬀ the ground, Lenfestey said years after

In 1964, he began his tenure as the ﬁrst president of what was then Polk

it opened, was pure hard work:

Junior College, having beaten out 40 other applicants from around the

“Because we had this kind of ‘gung-ho’ attitude, we managed to do

country for the job.

things in short order that just never would have been done had it been

polk.edu | 37

done in a university framework of, ‘Let’s all get together and

“He was trying to accommodate the entire community, and

discuss it and have a scholarly philosophy before we really get

there were many African-Americans who needed the ability to

at it,’” Lenfestey recalled in the same 1974 interview.

go to a junior college. They couldn’t aﬀord a university. Polk was

The eﬀorts all paid oﬀ in September 1964, when Polk welcomed 1,107 students, nearly twice the number expected.

there for them.” Henne also recalled that Lenfestey once commented that integration within the athletic teams was more important

“It was kind of like opening a store and selling out on the ﬁrst

than winning seasons.

day,” Lenfestey said in 1974. Lenfestey’s presidency was also marked by rapid growth. During From the start, Lenfestey insisted that Polk’s open-access policy

his 18-year tenure, according to The Ledger, enrollment grew to

be taken in the most literal of terms — it would never deny

nearly 6,000 students. The College also moved from its Air

education to anyone who sought it. Even as the country was

Base beginnings to a permanent campus in Winter Haven,

embroiled in the civil rights movement, Polk became the ﬁrst

and by the time Lenfestey retired, it was also holding classes

public institution in the county to be integrated.

in Lakeland. Planning for the Lakeland campus — now the

“He and his colleagues here at the College understood that

College’s largest — was also under way.

higher education wasn’t a luxury — it was a necessity for our

Lenfestey also oversaw the incorporation of the Polk State

region,” Holden said. “He was a pioneering advocate for the

College Foundation in 1976.

values of integrity and diversity we talk about today. He believed in ‘access for all’ at a time when that belief itself involved courage. Because of him and people like him, the College is a better place — and so are the communities we serve.” Polk opened and proceeded “on the basis of telling anybody that came out to enroll, if they met our minimum enrollment requirements, why then they can come in. We didn’t stipulate any color of the skin,” Lenfestey said in a 1975 interview. In a 1989 interview, he recalled his directive to the College’s ﬁrst faculty members: “You are color blind.”

Even as the College grew and served an ever-increasing enrollment, its ﬁrst students cherished their interactions with Lenfestey, who always had time to stop, talk, and listen to them.

thousands of students who have gone through

said Dan Dorrell, a member of Polk’s ﬁrst graduating class who

”

is now vice chair of the District Board of Trustees. “I remember one night, he invited all the SGA oﬃcers over to his house for dinner. That was not something college presidents were known for typically doing. “The impact he had on this community is as large as anybody of students who have gone through Polk State.”

was one of the ﬁrst faculty members hired at the College, and

Lenfestey retired from the College in 1982,

also its ﬁrst athletic director.

saying at the time: “The College is in good

Soon after the College was founded, it was invited to participate

ﬁnancial shape, we have a good faculty, and

in a basketball tournament in Orlando, Henne said. However,

good administration. The only thing that is

none of the other teams were integrated.

happening is that I’m getting older.” Even after his retirement, he continued to support and advocate for the College, and his name — which students and employees see every day on the exterior of the Winter Haven

Organizers of the tournament, Henne said, reluctantly agreed

Fred T. Lenfestey Student Center — will

to allow Polk to participate.

always be inextricably linked to Polk State

“To me that meant he was a good person, a good Christian, and

when you think of

Polk State.

a story Robert Henne recounted after Lenfestey’s death. Henne

play, none of them would.

as large as anybody has ever had,

“I was a member of the Student Government Association (SGA),”

That early dedication to integration is perhaps best typiﬁed by

Polk’s players — even the one African-American — couldn’t

this community is

the thousands and

has ever had, when you think of the thousands and thousands

Henne took the situation to Lenfestey, who insisted that if all

“

The impact he had on

and its impact in the community.

he believed what he was doing was right,” Henne said. Frederick T. Lenfestey early in his tenure as president.

INMEMORIAM

Polk Celebrates Career, Life of Gary Baker In December 2013, Polk State Art Professor Gary Baker retired after 37 years of service to the College. Sadly, just weeks after his retirement, Baker passed away at the age of 66. During his decades-long career, he inspired and encouraged countless students, sharing with them his love for the arts and his belief that everyone is an artist in their own way. Professor Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy is tireless dedication to the College, its mission and its students â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a legacy that will not soon be forgotten by his students or colleagues.

Our Year in Sports | 2013 Report to Community

PolkEagles.com

“ ”

WE MET OUR GOALS AND CREATED A NATIONAL AND STATEWIDE REPUTATION AS A SOLID PROGRAM THROUGH POLK STATE.

WE’RE SETTING EVEN HIGHER GOALS FOR 2014.

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POLK STATE COLLEGE OUR YEAR IN SPORTS VOLLEYBALL

NATIONALATTENTION Volleyball Posts 23-17 Record During Tough 2013 Schedule

The Polk State College women’s volleyball team wanted national

The showing in Iowa resulted in the Eagles being ranked No. 15 in the

recognition in 2013 — and that’s exactly what it got.

NJCAA national poll in early September.

The Eagles not only earned a national ranking, they were also ranked

The Eagles backed their early-season success up by playing well in one of

in Florida, took second place in the Suncoast Conference, and posted a

the toughest states in the country; Suncoast Conference opponents College

23-17 record during a highly competitive schedule. “I think other teams around the country and the state are starting to notice us,” said second-year head coach German Del Valle. Del Valle set out to put Polk in the national spotlight in 2013 by assembling a particularly challenging schedule. At the start of the season, he booked the Eagles to play in Iowa’s Reiver Classic. The event not only featured three nationally ranked teams, it was also the first time in program history that the Eagles played out

of Central Florida, Hillsborough, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Miami Dade, and State College of Florida were all either nationally ranked or received national votes. Polk State was one of the few to challenge the aforementioned state powerhouses. As the regular season played out, the Eagles upset State College of Florida with a 3-0 victory in its own tournament. Polk was also the only team to go undefeated in the event. Polk also held its own in the Suncoast Conference, taking second place

of state. In Iowa, Polk opened the season with a victory and came within match point of upsetting No. 16 Western Wyoming. Riding that momentum, the Eagles put their biggest victory in the record books when they downed No. 6-ranked Salt Lake Community

behind national semifinalist Hillsborough. The Eagles showed consistency as they attended the NJCAA Region 8 tournament for the third year in a row, taking fifth for the second year in a row, just two victories from attending the national tournament.

College, which eventually played its way into the National Junior

To further solidify their rise, the Eagles closed out the season ranked

College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) national semifinals.

No. 17 in the NJCAA and fourth in the state.

“It was awesome,” Del Valle said of the upset. “It definitely set a tone for

“We met our goals and created a national and statewide reputation as a

the season and gave us an early shot of confidence.”

solid program,” said Del Valle. “We’re setting even higher goals for 2014.”

“...OTH E R T EAM S AR O U N D T H E C O U N TRY AN D TH E S TATE AR E STA RT I N G T O N OT I C E U S.”

POLK STATE COLLEGE OUR YEAR IN SPORTS BASEBALL

IN 2013 THE EAGLES POSTED A 34-16 OVERALL RECORD

UPS ANDDOWNS

Baseball Struggles with Thin Roster in 2013, But Posts Numerous Highlights In 2013, the Polk State College baseball program was once again right in the thick of the Suncoast Conference race. The Eagles posted a 34-16 overall record and placed third in the Suncoast Conference, finishing just one game out of second place, and barely missing a third consecutive trip to the state tournament. The team concluded the season ranked eighth in the state. Finding consistency was a hurdle for the 2013 squad and its third-year head coach Al Corbeil. Before the season even began, losses of a non-statistical nature hindered

The 2013 rankings were validated as the Eagles suffered just two non-conference losses heading into Suncoast Conference play. Early in the season, the Eagles posted win streaks of seven and 11 games, however the lack of depth on their roster couldn’t be masked as the season progressed. Corbeil altered his lineup often, trying to find a successful mix, but positive results were difficult to achieve. “We were really thin,” said Corbeil. “That’s just the nature of junior college baseball. It happens to every club, every year.” The season was highlighted by several individual accomplishments and honors. Catcher Erik Hindmon (Ocala) was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year.

the Eagles. In 1964, the first season of play for Polk’s baseball

Corbeil and his staﬀ lost three promising scholarship players, including

program, the team’s schedule included just eight

a returning starter from the 2012 state championship team, for various

games. Today, the Eagles play more than 40 games in

reasons.

a season. They’re also a force on the state stage, having won three Suncoast Conference Championships and

“It was hard to make that up,” said Corbeil. “It was an up-and-down year.”

two state titles. In 2012, the team also made its ﬁrst-ever

The Eagles opened the 2013 campaign ranked No. 1 in the state and No.

trip to the NJCAA JUCO World Series.

3 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Closer Trey Norris (Frostproof ) set the school record for saves with 14. The pitcher was named Fireman of the Year for both the Suncoast Conference and Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA). Pitcher Matt Pearce (Estero) closed out the season with a 6-1 record, a 17-inning scoreless streak, two complete games, and two games in which he struck out 10 batters. He was named FCSAA Pitcher of the Week to end the season. Outfielder Daniel Sweet (Mississippi) logged an ever-so-elusive cycle — posting a single, double, triple and home run in one game. Additionally, five Eagles signed scholarships to four-year universities. The 2013 season was one of discovery for Corbeil as he stretched his coaching skills to find victories. “You can’t take anything for granted,” he said.

“ ”

...WINNING THE SUNCOAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS SOMETHING THE TEAM CAN BE PROUD OF.

NEXT YEAR WE WILL GET BIGGER AND STRONGER.

EVERTHE

COMPETITORS

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POLK STATE COLLEGE OUR YEAR IN SPORTS BASKETBALL

Riding the momentum of their victory over St. Petersburg to claim the Suncoast title, the Eagles headed into the state tournament for the third year in a row. The sixth-ranked Eagles met traditionally strong Chipola College, which was ranked third in the country. Polk fell 70-47. Despite the ﬁnal score, the game was not without its high points, especially Dauda’s posting of a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Basketball Again Earns Suncoast Conference Title

Dauda was also named to the Florida College System Activities Association’s Polk State’s 2012-13 men’s basketball team displayed the same

(FCSAA) All Tournament team.

competiveness that has become typical under 13-year head coach Matt Furjanic. In 1964, Polk State’s basketball team began its first

With two returning starters from the 2011-12 team, the Eagles captured

season with a 2-7 record. Today, the Eagles have 12

the Suncoast Conference regular-season title for the second time in

Suncoast Conference Championships, including six

three years, and the third time in six years.

earned under head coach Matt Furjanic, who is a member of three Halls of Fame.

They also achieved a No. 6 ranking in the state and overcame a season that saw injuries to three starters. The Eagles concluded the season with a 22-9 record. With just two returning starters — center Ismaila Dauda (Kano, Nigeria) and point guard Ralph Simmons (Charleston, S.C.) — the Eagles were challenged to find a productive starting lineup from its freshman class.

“The freshmen will use this as a learning experience,” Furjanic said. “Our goal was to win the league, and winning the Suncoast Conference Championship was something they can be proud of. Next year we will

But the freshmen proved ready to perform.

get bigger and stronger. I told them to remember this feeling so we

Furjanic found a three-guard offense with its workhorses in Simmons,

can come back and have a different outcome.”

Brock Van Lier (Beaver Falls, Pa.) and Nafis Walker (Philadelphia).

Also during the season, Furjanic was named Suncoast Conference

With the strength of that three-guard offense

Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his 13-year

as the centerpiece of the team, the Eagles

career at Polk. He was also recognized by his

clinched the Suncoast Conference.

hometown with his third Hall of Fame induction, this time into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club

“I was very proud of the way the kids played. They played with so much intensity,” Furjanic said.

Hall of Fame.

POLK STATE COLLEGE OUR YEAR IN SPORTS CHEERLEADING

RAISED

EXPECTATIONS

Carson has gone from simply looking for anyone to cheer to requiring participants to be able to perform speciﬁc tumbling skills. “Seventy-ﬁve percent achieved that goal,” she said of her 2013 cheerleaders.

Cheerleading Has Higher Standards, Is Reaching New Heights

She is also happy to welcome males, who provide strength as pyramid

The Polk State College cheerleading squad reached new heights during

bases.

the 2013 season. Competing for just the second time on the national stage, the Eagles ﬁnished in seventh place at the Cheersport College Nationals, improving from ninth the year before. Thousands of college teams from all over the country descend upon Atlanta each year to compete at Cheersport.

Last year the Eagles raised their standing in the junior college and college cheerleading arena, even though they had just one male squad member — Dervin Green. Having Green on the squad meant that the Eagles could compete in the co-ed division at competitions.

Polk’s cheerleaders also captured the college division at the Florida State

In 1964, when Polk State was just getting started at the

Fair in an event hosted by the National Cheerleaders Association.

Bartow Air Base, the basketball team practiced in a

Fourth-year coach Brittany Carson has become a progressive coach in a

facility with a wooden roof. Unfortunately, excessive

sport in transition — no longer is cheerleading about splits and three-tiered

rains led to the collapse of that roof, and the team was forced to play and practice wherever it could ﬁnd

towers; it’s heavy on strength, choreography, and intricate tumbling passes.

space. Today, the College’s basketball, cheerleading, and

With more and more youth clubs popping up across the country, the

volleyball teams compete in the recently re-branded

quantity and quality of cheerleaders wanting to compete at the college

and updated Winter Haven Health Center, which features

level has improved signiﬁcantly. Polk has reaped the beneﬁts, Carson said.

a four-sided electronic scoreboard, and ﬂoor to rival that of any professional team.

“We now have the ability to do more stunt groups and the ability to do better pyramids,” she said. “The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is making more rules involving safety and spotters, so you need a free person to spot. More is better, and the higher quality the cheerleaders, the better.”

While other teams possessed as many as five males, and therefore were able to do more stunts, the Eagles held their own in competitions. At the Florida State Fair, they claimed the college division, despite the second-place team’s presumed advantage of having several male participants. “We did really well,” Carson said. “It was probably our best performance the entire season.” At Cheersport, the Eagles were briefly in fourth place, but a fall and minor mistakes on the second day landed the team in seventh — lower than where the team wanted to end, but still a remarkable finish. “We finished seventh,” she said. “It was only our second time to nationals. Out of all the teams, we were the newest program there. We raised the level and we’re going to raise it again.”

“ ”

I GIVE THEM THE TOOLS. I’M THERE TO GUIDE AND MENTOR THEM.

THEY TRUSTED ME AND SAW WE COULD BE DANGEROUS.

POLKEAGLES.COM

POLK STATE COLLEGE OUR YEAR IN SPORTS SOCCER

POSITIVECHANGES Soccer Welcomes New Coach, Posts Winning Season

The 2013 season was one of positive change for Polk State College’s

The Eagles proved they were a threat as they began a climb back into

women’s soccer program.

Region 8 and national contention.

The Eagles welcomed new full-time head coach Steve Linamen, an

On the ﬁeld, the Eagles, despite many injuries over their 2013 campaign,

Auburndale native who brings a resume full of coaching experience and

recorded their ninth winning season (7-5). The success was due to a strong

credentials, plus a professional vision for the program.

defensive unit, and despite having just one goalkeeper.

Linamen — just the second coach in the program’s 11-year history —

The Eagles ﬁnished second in Region 8, behind national contender Eastern

was hired just before the start of the season. Among his ﬁrst moves was

Florida State College, and went 3-0 against Region 8 opponent Broward.

to hand out an exhaustive player’s handbook, establish goals for the players, implement rigid training expectations, hold weekly evaluation meetings, and form a player’s leadership council.

In 2003, Polk became the first junior college in Florida to offer women’s soccer as an NJCAA sport. Since then, Broward College and Eastern Florida State College have added the sport, thus creating Region 8. The Eagles are seven-time Region 8 champions.

The Eagles were receptive and started the season with new energy.

The Polk State Eagles served notice that they are on their way back into the national picture by receiving votes in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s polls. Plus, goalkeeper Kayla Hanel, who signed with Webber International University, was recognized for her saves in goal and for reaching second on the National Junior College Athletic Association’s ranking. Hanel was one of the many players who enjoyed Linamen’s approach to college coaching. “I wish I could stay,” said Hanel. “Coach Steve’s approach to the game, the way he treated us and the extra time he and (Assistant Coach) Anthony

“I saw a shift right from the beginning,” said Linamen. “I give them the

Sandoval spent with me was just what I was looking for. They really care

tools. I’m there to guide and mentor them. They trusted me and saw we

about the girls and the program.”

could be dangerous.”

In addition to Hanel, three other Eagles also signed scholarships to four-year universities.

POLK STATE COLLEGE OUR YEAR IN SPORTS SOFTBALL

Hall of Famer Laurel Smith was named the College’s ﬁrst fast-pitch softball coach in 1995. At that time, Polk games were played at what was then the Fairfax Complex, designed for slow-pitch softball. At Fairfax, Smith recalled, players competed downwind from the grill — the smell of hotdogs was always heavy on the field. Today, the

CONTINUEDRISE Softball Again Earns Place in State Tournament

Eagles play at the five-field DiamondPlex, located on the same grounds as the former Fairfax fields, adjacent to the Winter Haven campus. One of the fields is dedicated to the College’s team. The complex also includes a locker room, offices, restrooms, and concession stand — complete with an indoor grill.

Polk’s deep run into the playoﬀs caused the College’s trophy case to swell. Koutsoumbaris, Roberts, and Rose Stevens (Bartow/Mulberry) were named to the FCSAA All-Tournament team, which is comprised of all teams in the state tournament, for their play in Pensacola.

The Polk State College softball team closed out the 2013 season with

Koutsoumbaris, Roberts, and Stevens, along with Taylor Bowen

another impressive campaign, further solidifying the Eagles as one of

(Gainesville), were selected to the Gulf District All-Tournament Team.

the top programs in the state.

Koutsoumbaris, Roberts and Stevens also gained national attention.

The Eagles reached the FCSAA/NJCAA (Florida College System Activities

Roberts and Stevens were named NJCAA Softball All-Americans and

Association/National Junior College Athletic Association) Gulf District

National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region First Team

Championship title game in Pensacola for the second time in three years.

members. Koutsoumbaris was named to the second team.

Polk earned the berth to the annual state tournament by winning a share

The Eagles were also recognized for their play in the Suncoast Conference.

of the Suncoast Conference Championship title for the third time in the

Polk placed the most players on the All-Suncoast Conference First Team

last ﬁve years.

with six selections including Bowen, Koutsoumbaris, Roberts, Stevens, as well as Haleigh Corbally (Havana) and Kylee Stearns (Lakeland/Kathleen).

Along the way, the Eagles set several individual records, earning Suncoast Conference and All State, as well as national awards.

In addition, Roberts was named Polk State College Female Athlete of the Year. She led the team in batting average (.479) and doubles (23).

“Talent-wise we are on par with anyone in the state,” said head coach Stevens set Polk State records for hits (97) and stolen bases (62). Her

Jeff Ellis.

thefts ranked her fourth in the NJCAA. The Eagles, ranked ninth in the state, opened their state title run with a 6-1 victory over sixth-ranked Northwest Florida.

Koutsoumbaris set a school record for runs-batted-in for a season with 70.

The contest featured home runs by Jen Hamil (Texas) and Stephanie

During the regular season, Bowen threw a no-hitter and tied the school

Koutsoumbaris (Palm Harbor).

record for strikeouts in a game with 14.

Polk next defeated Suncoast Conference opponent South Florida State

It’s all part of the continued rise of the program.

College 5-1. Eagle Maggie Roberts (Lakeland/Lake Gibson) drilled a two-run home run in the contest.

“We’ve proven we’re one of the best and that we belong at the state tournament,” said Ellis. “It’s what we’ve come to expect.”

The Eagles suﬀered their ﬁrst loss of the tournament to fourth-ranked Chipola 11-0, but rebounded with a 6-0 victory over Hillsborough Community College. The win sent the Eagles to the Gulf District championship game, where they would again meet Chipola. Polk made a better showing the second time against the speedy Indians, but still fell to Chipola 7-1. “Even though Chipola beat us, we didn’t play scared,” Ellis said. “We played them tooth-and-nail and that bodes well for next year.” Polk closed out the season with a 42-20 record, while the Indians claimed the state title.

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